1/ When I was 6 years old, right after first grade had ended, my teacher invited my mother & me to her home. Unthinkable!

We wore Sunday clothes. I was so nervous & excited that I sat wedged next to Mom on Mrs. Behrendt’s sofa. I remember two things about what came next.

2/ Mrs. Behrendt gave me this framed Award of Honor, signed by her and the principal — and the superintendent! Mom talked about that for weeks. It was displayed on our dining room wall for years.

3/ As we were preparing to leave that day, Mom walked onto the front porch and Mrs. Behrendt pulled me back for a hug and whispered into my ear, “You are a very smart little girl. Let the grown-ups worry about grown-up problems.”

4/ Her secret message is why this award still hangs in my home. My teacher knew me better than any other person in my life. I learned early why teachers matter.

So many parents have learned firsthand during this pandemic how hard it is to teach. Now is the time to advocate.

5/ Most teachers never come close to making what they earn, but they show up anyway, day after day. No teacher should be returning to classrooms in districts that refuse to protect them, and all the staff that keep schools running.

6/ This is a grown-up problem, and it is ours to solve.

Our teachers need us.