RH Jones: No "Peace in the Valley" for nation's teachers
From RH Jones, April 15, 2007
Subject: No "Peace in the Valley" for nation's teachers
To all:
Most often our nation's public school administrators are required by their elected boards of education to keep "Peace in the Valley" by squelching publicity for teacher assaults. For this reason, as a life member of the NEA, I have asked that a monument to assailed teachers be built on the grounds of the Washington NEA building.
My thinking is that the public is "in the dark" on their awareness of this growing problem. The publicity and news media exposure could be garnered from the various periodic ceremonies and the sales of bricks and such -- as was done with the statue on our Ohio STRS building grounds. Although the STRS statue depicts a woman in the act of teaching an attentive student, the NEA monument needs to express the burden teachers shoulder in the line of duty as unsung heroes of physical assault or even death. There are those who would say that this would tend to shy students away from accepting teaching as a career. My response to them is that we need brave teachers in our nations classroom. Bravery is an American tradition of the highest order. "Panty waists" would not last long in the American classroom anyway. Others may say that publicity of this sort would turn students away from public schools. My answer to that is assailants are found in all classrooms, private schools, charter schools, religious schools, college campuses of all types, city, suburban and rural schools. Teacher assaults are everywhere; it has happened even in shopping malls.
The military and Police/Fire are given these honors, but not teachers. A monument to these fallen and assaulted teachers is long overdue. If you are an active or retired member of the NEA please support me in this drive for a public recognition monument of the physical and psychological hazards of education employment. Write phone or e-mail your NEA to get the ball rolling on this. I wrote to the NEA President, Reg Weaver, a year or so ago, and he said there is some consideration of such a monument. NEA members, we need to get this moving. Public awareness of the physical and mental hazards of our profession will help to bring proper funding for education professionals and will contribute to a retirement and health care, at least on the level that the Police/fire enjoy.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Hudson Jones, NEA Life Member & NEA-R Life Member
Subject: No "Peace in the Valley" for nation's teachers
To all:
Most often our nation's public school administrators are required by their elected boards of education to keep "Peace in the Valley" by squelching publicity for teacher assaults. For this reason, as a life member of the NEA, I have asked that a monument to assailed teachers be built on the grounds of the Washington NEA building.
My thinking is that the public is "in the dark" on their awareness of this growing problem. The publicity and news media exposure could be garnered from the various periodic ceremonies and the sales of bricks and such -- as was done with the statue on our Ohio STRS building grounds. Although the STRS statue depicts a woman in the act of teaching an attentive student, the NEA monument needs to express the burden teachers shoulder in the line of duty as unsung heroes of physical assault or even death. There are those who would say that this would tend to shy students away from accepting teaching as a career. My response to them is that we need brave teachers in our nations classroom. Bravery is an American tradition of the highest order. "Panty waists" would not last long in the American classroom anyway. Others may say that publicity of this sort would turn students away from public schools. My answer to that is assailants are found in all classrooms, private schools, charter schools, religious schools, college campuses of all types, city, suburban and rural schools. Teacher assaults are everywhere; it has happened even in shopping malls.
The military and Police/Fire are given these honors, but not teachers. A monument to these fallen and assaulted teachers is long overdue. If you are an active or retired member of the NEA please support me in this drive for a public recognition monument of the physical and psychological hazards of education employment. Write phone or e-mail your NEA to get the ball rolling on this. I wrote to the NEA President, Reg Weaver, a year or so ago, and he said there is some consideration of such a monument. NEA members, we need to get this moving. Public awareness of the physical and mental hazards of our profession will help to bring proper funding for education professionals and will contribute to a retirement and health care, at least on the level that the Police/fire enjoy.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Hudson Jones, NEA Life Member & NEA-R Life Member
posted by Kathie Bracy at 11:15 PM
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