Be sure to thank a teacher this week. They are in the news lately thanks to the striking teachers in Chicago, but no matter how you stand on that issue, the news does remind us all of how valuable teachers are.

They work hard under high community expectations and not nearly enough gratitude. They face tight budgets and federal and state politics that produce off-the-mark standardized tests. Some teachers in some schools get immense help from active and involved parents while others struggle with hands-off parents who view schools as a convenient kidsitting service.

But in the middle of all these debates, the central lesson is not to be forgotten: Teachers are making a difference in the lives of children every single day. Some are teaching kids to grasp the alphabet. Some are pushing kids to understand long division. Some are showing kids how to weld a proper bead. Some are giving kids the necessary confidence to sing on stage. Some are teaching kids to reach for the stars.

That is where the magic happens, and we ought not let all the politics mask it.

Be sure to thank a teacher this week. You are better off thanks to teachers, and your children are, too.