Teaching above and beyond

To the editor:

The following article was in Fence Post magazine. I thought it was appropriate in today's world.

Our teachers are undervalued and underappreciated by today's society. I am 78 years old and cannot believe the attitude toward education today. When I was young, attending school was a privilege and an honor.

I doubt that this story is true, but it sure has a message everyone needs to hear.

WILLIAM C. HANCOCK, Scott City

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A farmer's wife went back to school and got her teaching degree. She then applied for a high school teacher's job in a nearby county seat town.

After being interviewed by the school administrators, the farmer's wife looked them straight in the eyes and replied:

"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior without laying a hand on them or bruising their tender egos, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages and instill in them a love of learning.

"You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride.

"You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, evaluate career choices and apply for a job.

"You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of anti-social behavior and make sure they all pass the state exams.

"You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of the handicaps and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, e-mail and report card.

"You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a computer, a big smile and a starting salary that barely keeps me about the poverty line.

"You want me to do all this, and then you tell me I can't pray?"