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Keep Learning, Keep Living: The Letter from the Editor
I’m going to say something that could shock you. If you’re not sitting down, you might want to do so before reading the next paragraph.
Madeworthy is not a magazine dedicated to hard-hitting journalism.
Madeworthy is dedicated to telling interesting stories about interesting people and organizations in our city. It is dedicated to introducing our readers to stories from all parts of Fort Worth, and it is dedicated to making you smile as we do so.
Now that you’ve recovered that shocking declaration, read on.
From the beginning of Madeworthy, we included an education issue in our publishing rotation. We would ask for nominations for Fort Worth’s favorite teachers and celebrate their accomplishments. We would shine a light on people and programs that helped educate Fort Worthians, whether in a traditional or non-traditional setting.
That said, I will admit that pulling together an education issue isn’t easy. The timing is tricky. Logic would say that fall is the perfect time for an education issue because school’s back, and everyone’s back in the learning groove, while schools would prefer a late winter or early spring issue because that’s when parents are choosing schools for the next school year. Additionally, teachers and administrators are busy with, quite frankly, far more important things than sitting for an interview. You know, like teaching.
So, a couple of years ago, we decided to take a break from doing an education issue. But we missed it.
Last year, when Victoria and I were coming up with the themes for this year’s issues, we decided we really should do an education issue again. The stories are wonderful. The issue is so celebratory, and we love celebrating.
Of course, we decided on this year’s themes before the Texas Education Agency announced that they were taking over the administration of the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Well.
Once the takeover was announced, Victoria and I had a panicky conversation followed by several more panicky texts. In the end, we decided to go ahead with the issue (which you now hold in your hands) because there is still so much to celebrate about Fort Worth education.
In this issue, you will read about three alternative schools that take a very different approach to learning. You will read about a young man who uses his knowledge and love of sports and his presence on social media to do what all good teachers do – engage and enlighten. You will read about preschools that work hard to instill in their students a love of learning that will last a lifetime.
And you will read about teachers.
We asked the members of the Facebook Tanglewood Moms group to nominate their favorite teachers, and as always, the members delivered. These teachers go beyond lesson plans and tests. They are passionate about learning and passionate about their students. They don’t go home when the final bell rings; rather, they go to sporting events and plays, concerts and competitions. They sponsor clubs, and they open their rooms to all students, not just the ones on their attendance sheets.
I’m going to close with something that I wrote for our very first education issue, all the way back in 2018. I can’t say it any better than I did then.
“Teachers, whether they teach preschool or graduate school, have to be a psychologist, a politician, a parent, and a cheerleader. They often have to use their own money out of their woefully inadequate salaries to supplement the supplies that are provided to them by the school. They have to deal with often-contradictory requirements and Byzantine regulations and qualifications from state and national agencies. Public school teachers have to deal with overcrowded classrooms of children of all abilities. They have to pacify irate parents and navigate administrators who may have lost touch with the classroom…
“Why, then, would someone be crazy enough to teach? Teachers do not teach for the money or the fame or the adulation. They teach for the love of imparting knowledge and of expanding a child’s worldview…
“We hope this issue of Madeworthy, in addition to being a valuable resource for parents, will convey our thanks to the educators of Fort Worth. We do not say thank you enough. So, thank you. Thank you for inspiring and challenging and engaging and loving our children (and us), despite the odds that are most definitely stacked against you. Thank you for being a teacher. You have our everlasting admiration.”
