Might be a repost, but I just got this in an email a little while ago and hadn't seen it here before. Thought it was timely.

Four years ago, in September of 2005, then Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas shared this story of something a teacher did in his state.

On the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

"Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?"

She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"'No," she said.

"Maybe it's our behavior."

She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.

The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it."

Teacher Martha Cothren is the daughter over World War II POW and regularly has veterans visit her classroom. She often uses less typical methods of imparting knowledge to her young students. Part and parcel of what she teaches is an appreciation for the members of the armed services.

Her students now have sent numerous care packages to US personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also write letters to soldiers, sending off over 4000 letters since this event.

In 2006, the Veterans of Foreign Wars gave her the honor of naming her Teacher of the Year.

Yep, I heard that one before but, thanks for posting it.

Ron

I had not heard it but I am glad I did.
Hmm, I think I can work it also.
Thanks.

I've never heard that before, but cheers to that teacher!

Snopes says...

Claim:   Teacher imparts a lesson in the value of freedom by having veterans return her students' desks.

Status:   True.

Example:   [Collected via e-mail, March 2007]
Origins:   Often glurge is long on inspiration but short on truth, so it is refreshing to encounter a tale that reports the facts with little (if any) embellishment.

The text that now circulates in e-mail was drawn from former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee's 2 March 2007 address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC. It recounts events from the first day of classes in Fall 2005 for students enrolled in Martha Cothren's military history class at Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The room was indeed devoid of desks, with the missing furniture borne in at the end of the day by a group of veterans. Each vet carried a desk and set it down, as the teacher gave her lesson on the cost of things taken for granted and the debt owed to those in the forces.

I talked to Martha Cothren about that day and also about her military history class. This daughter of a World War II POW regularly has veterans visit her classroom — it's one of the ways she teaches her course on the history of World

War II and the Vietnam War. Her class doesn't yet have a textbook (she is busy writing one), so she uses less typical methods of imparting knowledge about those events to her students. Part and parcel of what she teaches is an appreciation for members of the armed forces.

In May 2005, she and her class organized a Vietnam Veterans Recognition Week, including an official "Thank You Ceremony" held in the Joe T. Robinson High School auditorium. Veterans from World War II and the Korean War also attended, as did people from all walks of life, to honor those who had served. During that week, students videotaped veterans as they recounted their war memories, thus preserving their stories for later generations.

Cothren and her students have sent numerous care packages to U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also write letters to soldiers in those theaters, sending off 1,200 missives in 2005-2006. (The tally for 2006-2007 won't be available until the end of the school year.)

In 2006 the Veterans of Foreign Wars named Martha Cothren their "Teacher of the Year."

Barbara "head of the class" Mikkelson

Sightings:   Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee referenced this story at the 2008 Republican National Convention.


Cool story, thanks for sharing.

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stimpy

quote Originally posted by fierobear: Here's a hint for you...don't believe everything you THINK.

I wonder if BO has seen it.
Thank you for posting it.

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Our legacy will be the dirt that is swept out of abandoned factories as the industrious youths of the future go back to work.
Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.

[This message has been edited by Jake_Dragon (edited 11-11-2009).]

Thanks for sharing that.

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: Snopes says... <snip> Cool story, thanks for sharing.

Yup, I usually do a check before posting anything claiming to be true...lest I look MORE foolish than I sometimes do.

Someone should take Obama's desk away and ask him the same question.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: Someone should take Obama's desk away and ask him the same question.

Oh come on now, you can't make a guy stand for three + years. That just wouldn't be right. Cute, funny maybe but definately not right.

Ron