Are we really in a recession?

From what the news says each and every day our nation is facing some hard financial times. They say we are in a recession. Teachers' raises, jobs, money for education, school supplies, and just about anything you can think of that deals with education is being cut. Someone please answer this question for me...If we are having such a hard time financially, why did we just drop $150 million on today's inauguration? I completely understand that today marked a very special day in America's history, but was it really necessary to spend that much money and to get Obama a "special made limo"? It was frivolous if you ask me!

I am so very glad that America is headed in a direction to end all the racial tension and finally show true equality for all people. People are right...I'm sure Dr. King is extremely proud, and I too am proud to be an American. However, we have starving children, homeless people, families who are losing homes, and many other horrible situations, but instead of helping the ones who truly need it, our nation blows 150 million dollars on one day for one man. It's kind of selfish if you ask me, but no one did really. However, I did tell you!

Another bone I have to pick with Obama...He was a teacher in his earlier years. Has he forgotten those days already? If he was in it for any amount of time, he knows that a teacher's job is probably one of the hardest jobs. Being a teacher does not allow for you to go to work at 7:45 a.m. teach children and go home at 2:45 p.m. Being a teacher requires you to bring work home with you every single day. Not only do you have to prepare for tomorrow's lessons, but you also have to worry about your students and their safey and whether they're going to practice what you taught today when they go home. Teachers also must worry about all the unimportant things like do I have the correct amount of word wall words on my wall, are my lesson plans printed so someone can see them if they come to observe, do I have an explanation for my display of student work for others to read, is my editors checklist updated, have I turned in all my spreadsheets to the instructional coach, etc. I swear my brain never has a break!

I'm so afraid of what next year will be like in education if the budget cuts continue. We already know we won't have math workbooks for students to practice. There is a paper and copy shortage. Mental health has been cut back. You tell me how you expect kindergarten and first grade students to learn to write legibly if they don't have the paper to practice on. The realitiy is that it's not going to happen. How are students expected to behave in school if there mental health needs are not being satisfied as they should? What happened to No Child Left Behind? They're all going to be left behind unless we stop all of these stupid budget cuts.

It seems like the idea is to cut where it effects the children the most. Obama said that he doesn't think that teachers need to have a higher education as everyone has smiled upon in the past. He doesn't want to reward teachers for thier hard work and dedication to being life long learners. Every other job in the world increases your pay once you take a step up the education ladder, yet he wants to take that away from teachers too. I mean really...do you think he would be making these same decisions today if he were still a teacher...I THINK NOT!

Come on Washington we've got to do better! Spend you money wisely. Create jobs for all these unemployed people of America. Keep the people happy and take care of those who influence the next generation the most and prepare them to be a functioning well-educated tomorrow. Stop cutting our budget or you're not going to have any of the good teachers left. You're driving us away!