UnitED For Florida Children

The following letter is posted, with permission, from a mom of three children attending public schools in Orange County, FL.

These teachers already exist in our public schools, and in fact most of our teachers fit this description. However, they are stifled by the misguided priorities of decision makers at the state and local levels. The very accountability system that is supposed to improve their profession is demoralizing it. The message our teachers are asking us to get out is: “Just let us teach”. As parents, we need to support teachers and take a stand for them. A teacher’s work environment is a child’s learning environment.

Dear Rick Scott, Governor of Florida

Please buy my child a teacher.
I pay taxes and send my children to public school.

Please buy my child a teacher. A child whisperer. A trained, energetic, enthusiastic, loving, educated, invested adult to grow a relationship with my child in the pursuit of learning.

Please buy my child a teacher who can see, hear and understand my child in a small group of special, targeted relationships. My child loves learning when learning comes with love.

Buying my child a new curriculum will not improve her relationship with learning.
Buying my child a new test will not improve his relationship with learning.
Buying my child a new computer program will not improve her relationship with learning.
Buying my child all these things reduces funding for what my child really needs: a relationship.

My child needs a person. A crowd.
Please invest my tax dollars in the people surrounding my child.

Buy my child a teacher who is paid so well that he would choose a career in education.
Buy my child a teacher who is trained so well that she can beautifully engage my child’s developing mind.
Buy my upset or disruptive child a teacher with time and expertise available for his needs.
Buy my child more teachers’ assistants for gentle encouragement and better classroom dynamics.
Buy my child enough support staff to improve communication with parents, to make use of the learning garden each morning and to run the clubs that spark my child’s interest.

Please transfer my taxes from the purchase of things to the purchase of people.
Spend less on assessment and more on relationships.
Spend less on hardware and more on hearts.
Spend less on worksheets and more on wisdom.
Spend less on standards and more on students.

Buy my child a person.
Buy my child a teacher.

Best Regards,
Wendy Birket
Mom of three, attending
Orange County Public Schools
Florida