Teach It, Preach It

Alyssa Rosenberg with the feel-good story of the year so far.

In the days after it became clear that a winning MegaMillions ticket had been sold in Maryland, speculation ran rampant over who would come forward to claim it, especially after a woman named Mirlande Wilson first claimed to be the winner, then said she’d lost the ticket. Now, more details have emerged about the real winners, and as Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino said “It couldn’t have happened to nicer people.”

While the winner’s names are being kept private, it turns out the three of them work in Maryland’s public education system as an elementary school teacher, a special education teacher, and an administrative assistant—and all of them work second jobs as well. They do not work in the same school, but know each other from work, and each contributed $20 to go in on tickets as a pool. They will take home $35 million after taxes, and according to Martino, plan to purchase homes, travel in Europe, and pay for their children’s college educations. And, in a nice little rebuke to ugly sentiments that paint public school teachers and public servants as lazy, Martino said they plan to keep teaching.

Because they love teaching and love their kids, but had to get a second job.  Now?  Not so much the need for a second job.  Hell, they could quit tomorrow.  Republicans would have you believe teachers are all lazy gold-diggers who fleece the system.

And I know what Republicans will say next:  "Well these government parasites should donate their salaries back to the taxpayers.  Better yet they should donate all their winnings to balance their school district's budget and save all the taxpayers millions!  If they don't they're WORSE THAN SATAN."

You know, so we can cut taxes on the rich.  Good luck with that in Maryland, by the way.  To these three teachers in Maryland?  Stay teaching and godspeed!