Unwilling to Let the Little Things Slide

My husband and I stopped at a popular coffee shop where I noticed a large poster inviting customers to an upcoming event. I was horrified to see the misspelled first word of the invitation: “Your invited to . . .”

I couldn’t even finish reading the poster because of my shock. I knew that many people would be looking at it. I mentioned it to my husband and his comment was, “I wouldn’t let it get to me.” I wondered if that was most people’s reaction or even if they noticed it at all.

The lack of concern, the fact that this sign went up unchecked, or that this kind of mistake was made in the first place, makes me wonder whether all this fervor over education really is being taken seriously.

I am a teacher among many who seem to be fighting a never-ending battle in a society that doesn’t really care about the “little” mistakes. If we don’t strive for excellence in our schools and are willing to let the “little” things slide in the marketplace, what does that say about our society as a whole?

I sat there pondering the small victory the Los Angeles Unified School District teachers had recently in their bid for more pay. I do agree that something so precious as the education of the next generation should reflect how our society feels about this task, whether it’s with a monetary status or another form of prestige, but to have to struggle to achieve this has always made me question our society’s priorities. The market will sustain forking out millions to entertainers and athletes but not the basics needed to ensure our most precious resource.

I know it’s been said before in many different ways, but if we let the “little” things slide, what’s next?