Tracy, what rock do you live under?

I am a software engineer. I have to take classes all the time, to keep up with ever changing technology. How quickly would I lose my job if the only language I knew was COBOL?? Doctors must take classes, to keep up with current practices. I would think lawyers have to take classes too, to keep up with new laws and statutes. Even tax preparers have to take classes yearly to keep up with new tax laws.

What a teacher does is nothing special! Any professional in a professional capacity has to keep up with their profession, or they become obsolete.

Should teachers who take a second job over the summer get a blue ribbon? If they taught summer school, coached some sport or tutored students for nothing, then yes, give them a blue ribbon. But again, your post proves the fact that don't do anything extra unless they are paid for it. They only have to teach - how many classes each day? They even get paid extra to be a hall or lunchroom monitor!

Oh, and I can tell you about crafts. I have 2 boys, 1 year apart. I saved all my oldest son's artwork that he brought home from school and guess what - the second one brought home exactly the same work the next year. That teacher did not change her lessons over the summer like they would like you to believe. They do the same things year after year.

And I had to send any special materials with them that they would need to do the crafts. The teacher did not buy it!