Becky's Journal of Joy, Justice, and Excellence, August 2024

Something I love to do: Surprise educators in their workplaces with an unexpected-but oh-so deserved-expression of appreciation. This spring, during Teacher Appreciation Week, I traveled with the National PTA president to Montgomery Blair High School, in Silver Spring, Md. We had a big surprise for teachers Michelle Elie, Jeremy Stelzner, and Maria Eugenia Tanos! This amazing trio advises the Blair student news publication, including a Spanish-language section. Balloons and flowers in hand, we delivered a check for $5,000, funded by Lysol, which the teachers plan to use for printing and photography costs. I also met with their students, who said how grateful they are for these teachers, who help them think and grow, and urge them to be the very best they can be. I, too, am grateful-as they remind us all of our passion for education and our power as educators.