By Corrine Hendrickson

New Glarus

To the Editor:

This week, May 6-10, is Teacher Appreciation Week and I would like to recognize and thank the teachers who care for and educate their students from the day they are enrolled in early care and education all the way through college! 

As we are learning more about Adverse Childhood Experiences (examples are poverty, abuse, malnutrition, and homelessness) and ameliorating the effects, we are learning that it only takes one caring adult relationship to start repairing the damage. Currently, early childhood education programs have extremely high turnover (40% per year) and even the K-12 system has seen an exodus of teachers over the last few years. This high rate of turnover is impacting the quality of education. 

The lack of respect and nonprofessional treatment of educators at all levels is a significant contributing factor. This, in turn, affects children’s ability to thrive. The reason child care has even higher turnover is because wages are low and benefits non existent because child care businesses cannot charge the true cost of care and remain affordable for working parents. K-12 turnover is high because of all the expectations placed on them without the necessary supports since our state refusing to invest more in the public school system. 

In conclusion, this year, I am asking you to reflect on the teachers you, or your children, have had and how they impacted the trajectory of your life and take a few minutes to write or call your elected representatives, share that story, and ask them to invest in child care, K-12, and secondary schools so that we have thriving communities for everyone as another way to say thank you to those who care for and educate our communities’ children.