Thank you, Hoosier Educators

To the educators and school personnel who make Indiana's public schools such wonderful places for our children to learn:


ISTA APPRECIATES YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU DO!

As this school year comes to an end, please know that your professional organization knows that every single day you and your colleagues do more than you have to for the children in your care.

Despite all of those tiresome comments about educators' jobs "being easy," remember there are people out there--parents, community members and your Association--that are thankful that Indiana has such talented and qualified people in our public schools.

Please know that as you begin to pack up for the summer, as short as it might be, ISTA will continue to fight for you and for the schools in which you work and teach. As ISTA president, I know how much time you spend away from your own families to work for our children--I know about the days you stay late, come in early and leave in exhaustion. I also know about all of those weekends spent grading papers and planning for the week ahead.

ISTA and I appreciate:

• the endless hours you spend in meetings, planning, discussing, preparing and learning;
• your expertise and the training that make you so qualified to do the difficult work that you do;
• your willingness to deal with all of the questions, concerns, emails and calls that come from parents and guardians;
• the personality, the joy and the love you bring to work each day;
• the example you set for all children;
• every bathroom break you don't get as you struggle to meet the demands of your day; and
• the time you take to make sure that our children know their value is much, much more than a test score--even when those scores can affect your own evaluation.

As a kindergarten teacher I spent a lot of time every summer getting ready for the next school year: reviewing standards, creating lessons, building lesson enhancements, studying data and more, all in the name of doing what was best for my students. I know you do as well. But remember to take time to let your Association help. Meet with us in June at ISTA's Summer Leadership Conference in Indianapolis. Days are set aside to help with leadership training, bargaining expertise and political activism. And take time to see how ISTA can be your source for professional support.

For more info on our summer conference, go to: https://ista-in.org/2014-ista-summer-leadership-conference.

Thank you, Hoosier educators. You are the capital that makes Indiana great. Your work does not go unnoticed and it is appreciated. Have a great summer.

Thanks for all you do.

Sincerely,

Teresa Meredith