An example of the desperate need for new paradigms

Why Do I Teach?As any teacher knows, there will always come a time when you ask yourself, "Why do I teach?" When one teacher asked herself that question, she got an answer. It began when teachers in a Maryland school district agreed in early December to give up a 5% pay raise for the coming school year to help their district cope with the impact that current economic conditions have had on their schools. After the local paper wrote a story on their decision, she received the following e-mail from the student body co-president who read the article.
Dear Mrs. G.,Not until after coming across this article in the paper yesterday did I become aware of the great sacrifice that the teachers, faculty, and staff of our county have made in order to ensure the stability of our public school system. I was pleasantly surprised by this heroic act of altruism and would like to extend my utmost appreciation to the employees at-large of our county, but most importantly, to the teachers, faculty, and staff of our high school. In these times of economic instability, I, as well as the rest of the BHS and district student bodies, should be honored that we have been of priority concern in the minds of our teachers, even as they may be dealing with hardships of their own. Best wishes to you and the rest of the BHS teachers, faculty, and staff for a wonderful holiday season—you all deserve it!