Oklahoma teachers – thank you.

I remember the way my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bayer, beamed at my self-portrait and showed it off to my parents. It was a mess of paint, but she spoke into me that I was an artist. I remember the way Mrs. Shaw stayed late after school every day and spent countless weekends helping my 8th grade team work on our History Day project. She taught us the joy and satisfaction in working hard to not just do what was required, but to exceed expectations. We ended up winning the national prize in Washington, D.C. and you would have thought we won a Nobel Prize the way she celebrated us. I remember late nights in the high school yearbook room where Ms. Burns pushed me to write words that meant something to me, to lead with bravery, and to fight for what I believed in as a student.

I don’t remember one single teacher ever rushing out the door or making me feel like I was a burden. I remember teachers who were always available, who poured their hearts into their students, and who fought for what was best for the young people filling their classrooms.

I graduated with over 1,000 other students from one of the largest public high schools in Oklahoma. I might be a homeschool mom now, but I will always be a cheerleader and advocate for teachers…especially public school teachers.

Want to find a real world changer?

Go look behind the teacher’s desk at your local public school.

This spring marks my 20th high school reunion. Honestly, high school feels like a lifetime ago. Those were good years, but definitely not “the best years of my life”! My high school looks incredibly different. There is a huge new stadium, more massive buildings, and all kinds of other additions I am clueless about. One thing has not changed – the dedication of the teachers.

Of course, there is always the few exceptions, but I don’t know them. The teachers I know – and I know A LOT – are a courageous bunch that day in and day out give selflessly of themselves. 99% of what they do can’t be quantified, traced, or often even seen. The teachers I know log long hours (way beyond what was ever asked on any contract they signed). The teachers I know are concerned not just with grades, but if their students are fed, safe, warm, and have their basic needs met. The teachers I know won’t be given free trips for meeting a goal or hustling harder. The teachers I know – they hustle not for themselves, they hustle harder day in and day out for our future FOR OUR KIDS.

Things are rough (more like grossly horrible) in Oklahoma right now in regards to public education funding for students and teachers. I don’t know the solution. However, I do know our teachers are heroes and they deserve to have an army of support behind them fighting for solutions.

I’ve listened to the heartache and watched the tears of several of my friends – Oklahoma teachers. I simply wanted to take today to let the teachers that read this blog know you are valued, appreciated, seen, and many of us are trying to figure out how we can stand in the gap for you as you stand in the gap for our kids. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for the endless hours you spend investing in the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of our kids – your students. You are shaping our future and we owe you a debt of gratitude.

Thank you.

~Ashley