Teacher Appreciation Week

By: Tami Pyfer

Tami reads to young students at the Utah State Capitol while serving as the Governor's Education Policy Advisor.

When I was in 8th grade, my junior high school librarian invited my class to write a short paper on life goals – basically, what did we want to be when we grew up? This was a no-brainer for me: I wanted to be a mother, a teacher, and a famous singer. At 13-years-old I had it all figured out! And for the most part, that vision of my future came true. I became a mother and a teacher, and while I’m not a famous singer, I did sing in a famous choir!

Almost 30 years of my career have been spent working in some capacity with K-12 educators – being a teacher, training teachers, raising money for schools, creating policy for public education, advising elected officials on education policy, and advocating for the teaching profession. It’s demanding yet fulfilling work!

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and as I’ve reminisced with my kids about the teachers they admired the most, the themes are common: teachers who got to know them and made them feel seen and heard; who encouraged them to pursue things they were interested in or showed aptitude for; and who held them to the highest of standards in their work. My son related how he once shared a short story he’d written for a class assignment with a different teacher, just to get a quick proofread before he submitted it. Instead of a quick read, he said the teacher “did a full analysis, gave some blunt, harsh feedback, and told me I was writing way below my abilities. He challenged me to try again saying, 'I know you can do better than that, Pyfer.'” My son rewrote the paper, giving it his all, and again asked for feedback. He said the teacher read the new draft and then just nodded and said, "That’s the Pyfer I know.” My son has continued his writing to this day.

Last week (in my build up for Teacher Appreciation Week!), I spoke about the Dignity Index to members of the Idaho State PTA.

As I prepared my remarks, I reflected on the controversy that had recently engulfed their community. In the midst of what seemed like a perfect storm of current and pending state law, district policy, and the growing political polarization affecting schools across the country, district officials had instructed 6th grade teacher Sarah Inama to remove a poster from her classroom which said  "Everyone is welcome here," accompanied by images of hands in various skin tones.

The poster had hung in her room for four years. The district's concern wasn’t about the message itself but the imagery which they worried could now be associated with political or ideological views, putting them in violation of state law. At first Sarah agreed to take down the posters, but within a few days she decided they would stay, even if it meant her job.

The situation gained national attention and sparked significant backlash. Students organized a walkout, outrage was directed at district officials and state lawmakers, and the public took sides. Even I found myself on the wrong end of the Dignity Index, wondering what those people could possibly be thinking?! (a THREE or a FOUR on the Index!) But as I looked at the situation through the lens of dignity, my heart went out to this community who was caught in a divisive, complicated situation.

And then I saw what dignity in action can look like. Parents and community members in this Idaho town decided to “fight back” not with protests or rallies or outrage or accusations, but through reaffirming the message that sparked the controversy in the first place. While elected officials were grappling with the unintended consequences of policy changes, community members and print shops got to work creating t-shirts and posters with the message "Everyone is Welcome Here." Within weeks, an estimated 15,000 people across the country were sharing this message of inclusion.

This issue has yet to be resolved, but teachers like Sarah remind me of my children’s favorite teachers – making sure each student is seen and heard, and encouraged to do their best. And I feel like the teachers, parents, and members of this community are leading the way by inviting us all to do better – to solve problems and ease divisions by using dignity, not contempt.

Tami

P.S. Help us share the love this week by posting about a teacher who showed you dignity. Tag us @thedignityindex and use the hashtag #dignityineducation!

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Dignity Schools

We asked Meghan and Karren from our K-12 team to highlight a teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week. Watch for more on our social media this week.

Karren: I meet a lot of amazing teachers as we bring the Dignity Index into schools.
Meet Melany Patterson from Oklahoma:

Meghan: It's inspiring to see teachers hear about the Dignity Index and learn what excites them most about bringing it into the classroom.

Listen to Dr. Irvin Scott, who trains teachers at Harvard:

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The Dignity Movement

Last week, Preston and Meghan were honored to present the Dignity Index at the BARR Center's National Conference in Palm Springs, California. (This is the second time they've been invited to present with the BARR center!) Over 600 educators, administrators, and policy leaders nationwide gathered to share ideas and build stronger schools. The response to the Dignity Index was overwhelmingly positive. Special thanks to the BARR Center for hosting us! 

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Tami and Alicia were in Washington D.C. this week speaking with a group of Afghan women leaders. As they introduced the Dignity Index, it was clear that these women leaders were living this work as they tirelessly and expertly advocate to improve the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan and here in the U.S. (Shoutout to Susan Saulny, a new member of our team, for connecting afterward!)

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Maddie and Tami were in Boise on Friday at the Idaho State PTA Convention. Parents, teachers, and community members were celebrating PTA's 120th anniversary in Idaho!

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Tami finished the week in Boise joining Alexis Morgan on her "Our Kids Our School" podcast, where they discussed the power of the Dignity Index to build strong schools and strong communities. The episode will be available soon here - watch our social channels for the release!