Infinite Wealth

A colleague recently told me about how stressful work has been lately. A new student has come to her school. This young man, a previous private school pupil, had recently been diagnosed with complex learning needs, including a learning disability and behavioural disorder. The student left his private school (she is unsure whether or not this decision was the school's choice or the student's) and enrolled in her public school. She now has one more student in her grade six class of 29, well above the Learning Commission recommendation for Division II.

The school's resources, already meager due to a lack of provincial funding, had to be redeployed in order to provide support for this student. My colleague was feeling concerned about meeting his needs in her already diverse classroom, and was not looking forward to writing an additional Individual Program Plan. Frustrated by her current circumstances, she wondered, “Why me? Why my school?'

Certainly, I am sympathetic. Ideally, her class size would be below 23, and all students with special needs would receive adequate support. I can't explain, nor justify, these weaknesses in public education. However, her last question is easy to answer.

The new student went to her school because hers was the public school that serves his neighbourhood. That's how we work, and while the unpredictable and often transient population can be source of uncertainty, it is also the very essence of our profession. Being a public school teacher is noble work.

We do not stand at our doorways and scrutinize each bright face that yearns to enter. We don't reject children based on academic ability, athletic skill, overall health, or financial wealth. We don't tell children that they're not welcome because they worship the wrong deity, because they're not smart or talented enough, or because their parents' bank accounts lack padding.

Instead, we throw open our doors, our arms, and our hearts, and we welcome all students into our schools. We enter our classrooms each morning and behold a veritable rainbow of smiling faces. It is our job to gaze into those shining eyes and see hope, promise, and a brighter future. We seek not to exclude those who don't reach a certain standard; instead we strive to ensure that all students are successful and proud of their accomplishments. And while it may not always be possible to serve every student in every school, there is a welcoming place for all children within our school system.

There is pure beauty in our public schools of a kind rarely glimpsed outside of the classroom. Where else do we gather human beings of all different races, religions, backgrounds and abilities, and work with them to form a community? Where else are the tenets of inclusion, tolerance and cooperation so thoroughly exemplified? Where else can anyone witness such hope and joy? Where else would such hard, unending work on the teacher's part be so meaningful, so beneficial, so absolutely worth it?

It is the private schools that often attract affluent families. These institutions sometimes require significant tuition cheques before students are enrolled. Some private schools benefit from parental prosperity and are able to expand program or campuses due to generous donations. But the real wealth is in our public schools.

This wealth is intangible, it cannot be counted or even described, and it cannot be denied. Teachers, let's celebrate the noble work we do in public education. It's challenging, often thankless, sometimes almost overwhelming. I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars.


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© February 2006, ATA Local #38 Calgary Public Teachers