As you will note on our front page, we have devoted it to stories about teachers in the public school system, many of whom were recently named by their peers as top teachers of the year. Others have been acknowledged for their years of service, and are soon to enjoy their retirement.

As Dr. Gwendolyn Shannon points out below, everyone in their respective profession is bonded by the fact that somebody taught them the knowledge and skills needed for their work.

That influence calls to mind the poem, referenced in the headline, by William Ross Wallace. He equated motherhood for being the strongest influence on children, though we must add fatherhood should not be marginalized.

We also propose that after dad and mom come teachers as being strong influences in how we think, behave and grow. Would that it were possible to award instructors with bags of cash, but even that’s out of our reach. Instead, we offer our humble and sincere thanks to all teachers every where for their commitment to reaching students of all ages and backgrounds.