I am saddened whenever I hear – and I have to admit that it is quite often these days – that teachers are frustrated and tired and fearful of their jobs and unsupported. It seems that all too often, school administrators translate their personal fears of and/or support for hot-button political issues into contempt, lack of support and meaningless tasks for classroom teachers. Durango’s classroom teachers are required to do even more with less this year – cuts in the gifted education staff leave little support for our bright students who already know the curriculum. And with media-specialist jobs in the district eliminated, there is no one in the library opening the door for the fascination of a book, or helping teachers find just the right material to support the lessons in the classroom.

I am grateful that despite these hurdles, the teachers I know continue to be committed to educating their students, instilling the joy of learning, carving out slices of time for real learning, believing that someday their jobs will once again be filled with joy and purpose. Our children’s teachers need our support and respect. We owe our children a meaningful education that they can one day be thankful for.

Nicki Massieon

Durango