In Celebration Of My Colleagues

If the COVID-19 Pandemic hadn’t hit us in early 2020 and I hadn’t made the decision to retire a year ahead of my planned age 65 birthday and the last day of school in June 2021, I’d be joining my colleagues at Cabrillo Middle School in welcoming students back to our incredible campus tomorrow.

My colleagues and I work hard for our students, our kids, our parents, each other. Those that are still actively preparing and delivering lessons are doing heroic work. They are returning back to work now because they are receiving (finally) the vaccine that many were waiting for before they would feel comfortable going back into the classroom face-to-face with our kids.

Even with only being able to see one third of their students in their classrooms at a time due to COVID safety protocols, tomorrow is a day that they had to fight for tooth and nail. Thank goodness the powers that be in this state held their ground and listened, for the most part, to the science before beginning the process of reopening our school and others like it in the Santa Clara Unified School District.

We, my colleagues and I, are often viewed by the public as having easy jobs with short hours, long vacations and pensions paid for the public. Our labor unions are attacked as being the cause of many of the problems that face educating the children that walk through our doors.

Yet, on the personal level, most of us have at least one teacher that we can look at as a person and thank for being a role model, a guiding light, a person to talk to when you needed help and guidance. Today, as I remember and pay homage to my colleagues at Cabrillo Middle School, I urge you to think of that teacher. Forget all your preconceived notions about teachers and send positive thoughts their way.

I know first hand how hard they work, the hours they put in, the vacation time spent preparing for the next school year and the next group of wide eyed students. Think positive thoughts about teachers today and join me in welcoming back the staff and some of the students of Cabrillo Middle School as they see each other in person tomorrow for the first time in over a year.

Cabrillo, when you get time to read this, welcome back and God speed to each and every one of you.