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I hope to share a teacher’s perspective on the upcoming school levy. As a teacher in the twilight of a well-loved career, I see many reasons to support this levy. Few of them have to do with money; all of them have to do with children.

Well-documented research shows that the quality of a teacher is a crucial determining factor in how successful children are as learners. With that in mind, what identifies a quality teacher? This type of teacher puts children first. He or she is someone who participates in continuing education to keep up with changes in technology, curriculum, and workplace expectations. Quality teachers know that we have to love all of our students while we have them, whether they come to us hungry or fed, clean or dirty, with academic skills or not, from loving homes or foster care. The best teachers often go home thinking about their students and how to empower each child to reach his or her potential. Our school district is full of quality personnel.

A common misconception is that teaching is easy. If this were true, we would have such a wealth of teachers, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers that we would be lacking placements for them. Unfortunately, our state is not graduating an abundance of teachers. Also concerning: Research indicates that we lose up to 40 percent of fully-trained teachers to other professions or states. Our county needs to both attract and retain top teachers. Our youth deserve nothing less. Thank you for voting on March 12.

CAROLYN WHALEN

Sandpoint