Guest Post: Please Treat Teachers Like Dirt

Last week I posted a blog on Forbes.com about the Phi Delta Kappa annual report on education. This year it features a focus on teacher morale, and I pulled the quote "Tired of being treated like dirt." A reader-- Stacey Miller Chester-- wrote a reply on Facebook I just love, because I'm a sucker for good analogies and metaphors, and so I'm reprinting it here, with her permission:

May I be honest? 

I actually feel we aren't treated like dirt. 

"What?!" No, you read that right. We aren't treated like dirt. I'm a farm girl. I guarantee you that dirt is treated better than teachers. 

Dirt is indeed evaluated...regularly. If it's not producing as expected then the farmer acts quickly to determine the problem. Does it need fertilizer so that the quality of the plants it's responsible for growing is stronger? Perhaps it needs rest since fallow ground repairs itself over a short period of time. Perhaps it needs additives such as lime or nitrogen since so much is expected of it in such a short time. 

Dirt is a limited resource and therefore its value is important to the farmer. He or she values it so much that no expense is spared in its protection and use. Typically, the value of dirt increases and therefore the quality of the dirt is bragged about. Farmers regularly spend thousands of dollars to root out any problems so that dirt's ability to produce is supported and valued by the farmer. 

No, dirt is treated better than most teachers. So, you know, take it for what's worth to you.