Value the world’s teachers

Oct. 5th has been designated World Teachers’ Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for 20 years. This is an “occasion to mark achievements and reflect on ways to counter the remaining challenges for the promotion of the teaching profession, like the acute shortage of teachers.”

UNESCO views “expert knowledge, specialized skills, and pedagogical competence” as required for all levels of education, while also promoting “institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and professional development of higher-education teaching personnel.”

It might have been an excellent idea for Gov. Matt Bevin to attend the UNESCO conference to do some professional development about how K-12 schools, colleges and universities run. They are not, nor should they be, cookie-cutter production plants. The liberal arts help students learn how to think, read, analyze, interpret and solve problems, no matter what their course of study.

Perhaps our current governor does not have the expertise, background or concern to handle all the changes he is pushing for schools, curriculum, boards, teachers, retirement programs and, most importantly, students.

Maybe World Teachers’ Day should have been Bevin’s priority instead of “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” Don’t get me started.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Value the world’s teachers."