I don’t know what it is about me and lists (see List of 2012 Student Protests,List of 2012 Teacher Protests, List of K-12 Student Protests. and I’m currently working on this year’s list of student protests), but seeing that I came across another public teacher resignation letter, I feel this is both appropriate and necessary.

Although it is a tragedy that these teachers listed below who belong in the classroom are no longer there, what they have done speaks volumes in similar ways teachers in Chicago did during their strike last summer. They gave up the profession they were born for to make a courageous, important, and loud statement against the damaging reform policies being forced upon teachers and our youth.

I apologize I have to keep this pre-message short as I have a final exam in less than an hour, but in sum: People ask why I fight to defend the teaching profession–this is why.

1. May 6, 2013 - Deborah S. Howard


This is how I am feeling about the current state of education “reform”. I feel I am doing a disservice to my students by subjecting them to unnecessary stress and anxiety via these soon-to-be nationalized, high stakes standardized tests.


2. April 8th, 2013 - Gerald Conti, a New York teacher of nearly 27 years


“I realize that I am not leaving my profession, in truth, it has left me. It no longer exists.”

3. March 10th, 2013 - Abby Breaux, a Louisiana teacher of 25 years


“I hear often that teachers don’t teach any more. We don’t! You have made us information pushers, test givers, and paper passer outers. LET US TEACH!”

4. December 2012 – Stephen Round, a 2nd grade Providence, RI Teacher for nearly 11 years


“Rather than creating lifelong learners, our new goal is to create good test takers…our students are now relegated to experiencing a confining and demeaning education.”            

5. October 2012 - Kris Nielsen, from North Carolina


“I quit because I’m tired being part of the problem. It’s killing me and it’s not doing anyone else any good. Farewell.” 

6. September 2012 - Adam Edgerton from Boston


“I quit teaching because I was tired of feeling powerless. Tired of watching would-be professionals treated as children, infantilized into silence. Tired of the machine that turns art into artifice for the sake of test scores.”