"It matters not so much what you teach me to do as a teacher as what fire burns in my teacher heart . . . After a difficult year of testing and changing and feeling that nothing I did was enough, I made a decision last spring. I decided to teach 'happy.' If I can't do that then I must stop teaching."

"I love teaching and I love the students and if I wasn't so close to retirement I would be out. A student teacher from our school quit last year . . . The students wouldn't work, when she phoned the parents they swore at her and the principal didn't do an awful lot to back her up. She was the top . . . as far as student teachers go . . . this year we phoned to see if she wouldn't try again at our school. The reply, "Thank you . . . I have a job now with great opportunities to grow and a great working environment."

What this shows is a disparity between what policy-makers and the front-line teachers see as the problem. Policy-makers see it as one of recruitment, mentoring and pay. The front-line teachers see it as the oppressive work environment where they are not supported and respected, and where they discourage their loved ones from entering the profession.

Policy-makers should take a lesson from successful corporations. They listen to their employees and create a working environment where they are valued, respected, and provided the support and resources to do their job.

Likewise, if we want to prepare our students to succeed in today's ever-changing world, they will need more than a teacher proficient in a subject — rather they need one who will teach the love of learning. To do that we will need to create an environment where teachers are eager to come to work and, as one teacher said, "(with) what fire burns in my teacher heart."

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net