Teachers in Colorado are exercising their First Amendment right to assemble and to have their grievances heard in a public forum. The court of public opinion seems to be the venue of choice these days for anyone who wants to be heard. As normal avenues for redress, i.e., bosses, government, become less responsive, or part of the problem, teachers turn to all of us as a last resort to plead their case.

Nowhere is our hypocrisy more evident than it is with our treatment of teachers. We shower accolades on them and their noble calling but then turn on them when we are asked to put our money where our mouth is. Teachers and schools (including CU) often have been the first place legislators have looked to cut funding, in part because educators historically have had little clout to fight it.

Teachers are important. They inspire us and, in some cases, can change the trajectory of our lives. Part and parcel to their profession is the knowledge that they will never get rich and more often than not, will reach into their own pockets to pay for essentials in the classroom such as paper or pencils because the funding is not available.

Read more at dailycamera.com.