We can't ask something of them and not give in return. It's a two-way street. Just as we're going to ask teachers to dig in and pay the price, those of us who are elected officials need to dig in and pay the price. We must make sure we're not demanding more of others without demanding more of ourselves. There are many expectations for our education system.
Parents have certain expectations.
Let's never forget the primary stockholder in education is not the business community, as important as it is. The primary stockholder is still mom and dad. I'm in awe of the fact that a mother and father would every day take the most precious thing in their world and entrust that child to the care of our public schools. This morning while many of us were getting ready for work, there were about 450,000 children in this state who were being picked up by a bus, dropped off by a parent or even walking to school. They were showing up for an education in which their parents have not only invested tax dollars but even more importantly have entrusted the lives of their children.