School Board Comments

Good Evening,

My name is Kathleen Hamilton and I have been teaching for 28 years. I have taught third grade, literacy and my heart landed in first grade. I tell you my experience because I have seen a lot of changes in education. I’m not opposed to change…I think change is a good thing. Tonight I would like to ask for your help. Elementary teachers are all in need of your help. First I would like to show you a visual to demonstrate our concerns. Here before you I have a glass of lemonade. In many ways this lemonade is like a school district. Each ingredient can stand on its own, however when you mix them together something new is created.

Tonight I bring own concerns for your consideration.

You see as teachers we have many responsibilities within the classroom…for example: the Wonders new language arts adoption, PLC meetings, standards, tests scores, assessments, report cards, PBIS, IEP’s, paperwork and grading student work, staff meetings, leadership meetings, ½ VAPA time and PE, 100 minutes of PE, parent meetings, school safety, and the list could go on and on… (add water to the glass to dilute the lemonade)

Please notice that this 1 glass of lemonade no longer looks or tastes like lemonade…

How can we change that? Will it cost money?

NO…I’m asking you to consider giving back elementary teachers 1 PLC meeting a month so that we have more time to fine tune our craft at teaching. It’s the nature of elementary teachers to want to do more and be the very best for our students. We are people pleasers and we keep quiet until we no longer can.

Are all of these things important? Yes, however MORE just means MORE. AND that is diluted, unrecognizable lemonade…

Thank you for your time and consideration to this very important issue to elementary teachers.