Dear Families,
Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Pilot sure does have so much to be thankful for. Perhaps one of my favorite things to brag about when I tell people about our expert faculty is how long our teachers tend to stay at Pilot once they arrive. The average teacher at Pilot has been here for twelve years, and more than half of our teaching faculty has been here for ten or more years.
Teaching anywhere is not a job for the faint of heart, but Pilot asks far more of its teachers than most schools do. In addition to the usual planning and execution of lessons, Pilot teachers must also be experts in the learning sciences, in child development and psychology, in social emotional best practices, and in evidence based intervention work. They must remain light on their feet, ready to pivot at a moment’s notice in response to the needs of their students. And I watch them everyday take on that work with incredible finesse and with joyful patience.
Across the country, we’re reaching crisis levels in the teacher pipeline. Fewer people are entering the profession, and many who do, don’t stay in the profession longer than five years. So amidst that context, I feel particularly grateful for and humbled by the expertise, commitment, and continued impact of our teaching faculty.
I’m looking forward to celebrating our teachers next week. If you have a moment to spare, consider sending a note of thanks to your child’s teacher directly. And thank you as well you to those of you who already contributed to the Home and School Association’s planned celebration.
Warmly,
Alli
