Dear Teachers,

You are facing difficult times. With the continued spread of the coronavirus across the United States, schools are placed in a precarious position. Many of you are not allowed a choice and are being forced to return to the classroom, despite the risks of contracting SARS-CoV-2. Many more of you are staying home, trying to figure out how you will teach your children remotely. From a childless adult who wants to see a better world, thank you—all of you.

Teachers might perform the most important role in modern society. They are tasked with educating the upcoming generation, ensuring they think, behave, and produce in benefit to society. They not only instruct students in accumulating new and vital knowledge, they teach their students how to think, how to learn. Young children are taught how to treat people. Teachers champion our civilization’s values: things like truth, fairness, respect, earnest, reason, responsibility, and grit. Teachers do this for “their" children each and every year; not those they have birthed, but those they nonetheless nurture and love.

And now this year, you are trying to fulfill this most honorable of duties while wearing masks or teaching through a screen. You are showing children how to make the sounds of different letter combinations while distancing from them. You are teaching students how to solve problems while combating ones none of us have ever faced. You are preparing online curriculum outside your working hours, preparing materials out of your own budget to be sent home to families, and preparing to use programs and software not designed for this learning environment.

Some parents might not like the decision of their respective school district. They might not appreciate the hardships you face. No doubt, this is a tough situation. But when the dust settles, it will be evident that you rose to the occasion, as you always do. You will selflessly pour your energy and passion and soul into this year’s students, just like every other year. For your service, thank you. Thank you for making our communities stronger. Thank you for making our children better people. This year will be difficult and full of uncertainty and unknown, but you will still serve. “Easy” isn’t the reason you signed up for this job anyway. Teachers, thank you.

Sincerely,

A grateful citizen