Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I was lucky to attend a few of the breakfast events at Grandparents’ Week at Lee-Jackson Elementary last week. While looking around the foyer, crowded with relatives excited to spend time with a loved one, a thought struck me: almost everyone around me had been to school. If you have children, they likely go to school. That lady you passed at the grocery store? She probably went to school. The people you’ll see at your job this week? Chances are they did, too. In this country, we are fortunate to say that nearly all citizens have attended school for part of their lives.

I bet many of us remember some of our teachers’ names, their smiles, and sometimes we might even remember what we were taught. This impact, deep and long-lasting, is why teachers should be recognized and respected as some of our county and nation’s greatest assets.

And yet, the teachers in Mathews County are facing some of the hardest times in recent history. These are...