Lessons Learned

("The Value of Teachers")

In 1945, at the age of 27, my mother retired from teaching high school English. The war had ended, and on November 11th of that year, she and my father married.

35 years later, an article appeared in our local county newspaper. It was written by a staff member who had been a one time student of my mother's. She did not know where my mother was, or whether she even would see the words that were written. But she felt compelled to thank her for changing her life, and doubtless the lives of many others.

We don't require facts and figures to know that Mr. Kristof is correct in his contention that teachers are our most critical weapon in the battle to improve the outlook for the future of our citizens. We just need to ask Wilma Supik to recount the story of Dorothy Smith.