Pat Shipley
The end of a school year is always bittersweet close of a chapter. Students plan summer activities from ball games, swimming, county and state fairs and vacation. Teachers wish them joy and safety over the summer.
Graduates plan for marriage, getting a job or post-secondary education at a community college or four-year institution. Teachers hope they find success and happiness.
Teachers and education employees plan for additional education, spending time with children or getting a summer job to supplement their income. Teachers know summers are short, but always look forward with expectation for the next school year and the students they will teach.
Like every year educators retire, sign contracts to return, resign and move to other school districts, or plan to leave education and to see what life is like in a new profession. They should be thanked for the commitment they made or will continue to make to your school district. But sometimes we forget to say “thank you.”
Life as a public educator has become increasingly difficult and was amplified by the pandemic. 2022-23 was a particularly difficult for public educators and education employees in every system: pre-K-12, community college, Regents, and Area Education Agencies. Mixed messages were sent to educators. “Actions speak louder than words” is the best way to interpret what happened. Why is it surprising that fewer people are choosing to teach and there is a huge teacher shortage in Iowa? The search for replacement will be most difficult for rural schools.
The “legislative dust” has settled and the impact of this year’s actions is clear. Governor Reynolds has signed education bills into law. Public education took a monumental hit.
Public money was syphoned to private schools with no accountability. Minimal funding was given to public schools with more accountability. Educators’ integrity was attached and were accused of indoctrinating students. Content of books was an issue that equals book banning. Educators’ expertise in age-appropriate content and instruction was ignored. Teacher licensing practices were relaxed. Educator licensing board will have a majority of parents rather than practitioners in charge. Transgender students were targeted with the implication that they were not “less than” and dangerous. A vocal minority of parents could dictate policy change in a school district. “Parents’ Rights” was a rally cry unless it dealt with gender affirming care for their own child. Parents have always had rights to determine their own student’s needs, but not the right to interfere with the wishes of other parents. Gratefully legislation that would have allowed guns on school grounds failed to pass.
Criticism of educators and public education has been at epidemic proportion. If you haven’t been a teacher or in a classroom recently, your memories of education “back-in-the-day” are not today’s reality. Students’ issues and challenges are complex. Families and their finances are less stable. More children are food insecure and safety concerns.
I value public education and those who are educators. Teaching is difficult and not everyone is called to teach. Teaching gets harder when everyone is a critic and no one is a fan. If you value the future of public education in Iowa, thank an educator employee for their commitment. Express your gratitude for their decision to teach. Make a difference to an educator’s day.