May 2 through May 6, 2022 is Teacher Appreciation Week. The demands we place on teachers have never been higher. From teaching the basics of literacy, mathematics, and science to providing emotional support and career guidance to our students, our teachers work incredibly hard to make sure that our children are ready to become successful members of society and they deserve recognition for the incredible work they do.
During my time in the legislature, I have continually been amazed by the resiliency of our educators. Wisconsin’s teachers have faced a lot of negative turmoil over the last decade or so. They have been made the foil of concerted attacks by radicalized political voices. The Sun Prairie School District alone lost over 1,000 years of teaching experience in one year due to Act 10. Of course, the global COVID pandemic put enormous strains on all teachers, schoolchildren, and parents and challenged them in unprecedented ways. And yet, facing these adversities, teachers continue to give it their all.
Serving on the Assembly Education Committee has made it abundantly clear to me that we ought to be doing more to support our Wisconsin teachers- which in turn will also support our schoolchildren. Teachers don’t get into the profession for glory, money, or accolades. They do it because they are answering a noble calling towards guiding our children to become functioning members of our global community. We must ensure that every classroom and every school is equipped with what teachers and students need to succeed.
We can never do enough to support the work of teachers. Their work is tireless and incredibly important. Our children are our future, and our schoolteachers are the ones that prepare them to lead. I urge everyone reading this to please take time out to thank a teacher whenever you can, but especially during this Teacher Appreciation Week.