If you can read thank a teacher

So this has been a very long week. Seventeen of my coworkers were "Riffed" this week.
Riffed is reduction in force, basically there is no money in Arizona and they can't seem to make any decisions in the legislature to fix the situation.
This is the second year that we all were told of lay offs and then we wait and then they hand you a letter and say thanks. This really sucks!!!!!
I was lucky in that it was not me this year however, this will mean that our classes will be very large, 30-35 kids, we may not have p.e., music, or and breaks in the day. We have lost so many great people to this mess. There are single mothers, teachers within six months of retiring and the list goes on and on.
The ones that remain are just as upset and devistated as those that are being let go.
I was so in awe of these professional people that showed back up at work today in the midst of all of this. What awesome people they are.
Do we as a society feel that other programs are worth the loss of our futures education? We are behind in this area already.
I can read because a teacher helped me and I had great parents. My kiddos are in the third grade and many have never heard of a nursery rhyme. This is not the parents fault necessarily, for when you have two people that need to have two jobs just to get by it is hard to take the time to read with your children. Our society needs to think about the current state of affairs and get their priorities straight.
So here is my challenge to all of you:
If you are able to help out a classroom in your area by donating your time to the kids or the teacher please do this. Ask to be a listener, listen to children read. Ask a teacher if you could take some projects home to help him or her out. Ask if you could eat with a class at lunch. Ask if you could help with an art project. I mean just offer your time and encouragement to a group of youngsters that are longing to hear : Mary had a little lamb.
Today I showed a video , I know cop out... No we had worked so hard preparing for AIMS this week that the kids were so exhausted. The video was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The original
We did not finish it and when I said I needed to turn it off the kids said, no we have never seen it.
I said to them did you know this is also a very cool book? They were all so excited, they wanted to go to the library.
How many copies of this book we have is limited, but to see the kids connect with a fun non violent movie that was new to them was so amazing. I still love the song, The Candyman Can.
It is what every child dreams of..... All the candy in the world and it comes in the form of a book

If you could read this thank a teacher......