I’m an educator and a parent who spends much of her time teaching and advocating for children and public education. Currently, I teach in a Title I school in Florida where we have the highest poverty rate of all schools in the county. I have been teaching for about 10 years now. I began my teaching career around the age of 37. I left a successful career in high-tech sales and marketing to do what I love to do most: teach. I grew tired of chasing money and wanted to make a difference in my world, especially in children’s lives. My first job in teaching was at a public Title I middle school in San Diego. I taught during the notorious “Bersin reign” that Diane Ravitch chronicles in her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System. I taught at that middle school for three years and barely survived. Not long after I left, it was turned into a charter school.
I then left for Florida and am now teaching at a public elementary school where I am seeing much of the same oppressive and aggressive tactics being used on teachers at my school as I saw in San Diego.
I am blown away by what is going on in education right now. There is a lack of ethics and transparency in our government with powerful elites, and the media. I’m for “real reform” in public education, not a takeover by ed reformers who blame overworked teachers for the problems we are seeing in education. Many of the problems in education are connected to poverty, and I see the problems getting worse as we see poverty levels climb.
My hope for this blog is that it will be a source of information for educators and parents, like myself, who want to learn about the realities in public education. I’m a huge believer in sharing “true information” and debunking myths and lies, especially found in the media where it can do the most harm, and has, in the case of public school teachers.
Teacher Reality 
Dear Teacher Reality,
Excellent blog!
Thanks for adding Modern School to your blog roll. I have reciprocated.
In Solidarity,
Michael Dunn
Thank you for being dedicated to teaching and helping children. I am also in Florida and astounded by what is happening in this state and the US in general. The politicians are very short-sighted and have no idea of how to improve education WHERE it needs to be improved. Not all of our schools are failing, but you would think so when you watch TV.
I taught in Los Angeles California, inner city high school, met my husband teaching there too. Then we both taught Middle and High School in Sacramento inner city. He is still teaching 23 years or so later and a bunch of moves. He teaches an engineering program at a high school in Florida.
Thanks for writing this blog…I hope to read more when I get a chance. Too busy protesting against the legislature and Governor right now. We have to defend education with our very lives right now. Yet we can continue to reduce Corporate taxes…wow, total disconnect.
In Solidarity, Dana (stardust1111)
I am enjoying reading your blog and thanks for all the work you do on behalf of our children and public education.
I love what you wrote about what makes an effective teacher. I, too, taught in a Title 1 School for 8 years in CO and loved it. Now, I live near Orlando, FL and am a stay-at-home mother/ fledgling entrepreneur. I found out about this march after watching the video a friend posted of Matt Damon saying something to the regards of the MBA mentality being the problem with educational policy. My jaw nearly hit the floor. How did he know this? Then, I realized he was surrounded by some of the best and brightest minds in education of our time. I’m so sorry I missed this march! (After reading Kozol’s book in a sociology class while an undeclared business major in college, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. He’s my hero.) Oh, I could go on and on, but THANK GOODNESS this is happening. And thanks for the tip on the Twibbon! 😉 Keep up the great work.
I added you to my blogroll. Up here in Wisconsin, it felt like ground zero for teachers’ and other public workers’ rights in February and March. Unless we can recall our governor, it will only get worse. I can’t believe it’s 2011 and we’re going backwards. Thanks for your blog! Julie, Alphamomfia.com
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Very interesting blog–I love all the links! Just wanted to say that you are not alone in your frustration with the current educational system; I’m sure you know that from all the like-minded posts you’ve mentioned here… We are also working to “blow the whistle” on poor educational policies. We’ve started a new blog at https://liftingthecurtainoneducation.wordpress.com. It’s a bit scary, but we have to speak up!