Yesterday, May 7th was Teacher’s Appreciation Day. As an Occupational Therapist working with children on the Autism Spectrum, I work alongside teachers every day. Teachers are underpaid and overworked. Some of the teachers I work with must be parents to the students as well because there are some kids who require care with the teachers washing their clothing, washing their hair, and even buying clothes. Now most teachers in the U.S. are women. Women who are naturally nurturing and some with their own children to take care of when they leave work. With this information, it’s crazy that in 2024 many states still do not have paid parental leave.
In most states that do have paid maternal leave, the change has been more recent. These teachers who are parents for a few hours a day to someone else’s child can’t even feel secure when it comes to having their own child. This leads to unnecessary stress. Having a newborn baby requires a lot of time and money, so imagine how many women have difficulty managing financially in the beginning. On top of that, their bodies are still healing. In 2018, New York State implemented 6-weeks paid leave time. Based on the job, additional time may be give. For example, unionized schools can receive 6 additional weeks based on the number of sick days they have available.
So when will our teachers be truly appreciated. When will they feel supported by their administrators. What do they have to do for more funding classroom supplies as many spend hundreds/thousands of dollars each year. When will states increase their wages. When will everyone realize without teachers, no child can move forward in life. Let’s make sure to let all the good teachers know they are appreciated. I appreciated my teacher Ms. Deleston in 1st grade and Ms. Marsh in 2nd grade. I appreciate every last teacher who have helped in making me love going to school and learning new things. Thank you all for being a part of who I am today. And Happy Belated Teacher’s Appreciation Day to all the teachers.