Mary deLeon-Denton
E-mail: docdenton@gmail.com
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| Mary deLeon-Denton |
Local/affiliate: Saint Paul Federation of Teachers Local 28
Job title: Speech/language pathologist
Grade level/subject: Middle school
Years teaching: 31 years
Term ends: June 30, 2010
Committees: Human Rights
Philosophy:
I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.
Whitney Houston (1985)
This was my belief when I made the decision to become an educator over 31 years ago, and it remains my belief today. So often we hear that public education is broken and is not “how we used to be.” I do not believe that public education is broken, only that it has been tampered with by outside entities that do not understand the extreme complexity of educating our youth. It’s all about our children and has always been about our children. In unity, I believe we can change public perceptions, lead the charge to quality education, and take back our profession. No matter what our role, our title, our job description, TOGETHER we ARE professional educators. In solidarity, we are charged with preparing, guiding, and infusing a sense of purpose and self-empowerment in our children, to become socially responsible, well-rounded individuals. It is our charge to provide our children with the tools to tread their own path, carve their own legacy, and paint their own portraits for a society that ultimately holds paramount the ideas of equality, equity, and social justice for all. That is our hope, our dream, our future. Together, as a family of education professionals, that is our charge, and we will lead that charge to quality education for all children.
October 23, 2009