---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teachers who have committed their lives…"
description: "\"Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics has given them.\" — Lawrence O'Donnell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg"
---

#  Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom…

![“Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics has given them.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg)

> “Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics has given them.”

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Educators devoted to teaching are undervalued by current political decisions, deserving greater support and respect.

**In simple terms:** Teachers deserve better political support.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for stronger education policies.

Themes

education politics respect advocacy

Mood

determined concerned

Type

advocacy political

When to use this quote

- school board meetings
- teacher unions
- legislative hearings
- community forums

Key Concepts

public policy teacher morale resource allocation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can communities pressure policymakers?
- What concrete support can teachers receive?

A Different Perspective

Political constraints may limit immediate change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Classroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classroom/) [Deserve better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserve-better/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/)

## Related quotes

> [I believe that teachers committed to the community are the ones who deserve to earn the top dollar, a starting salary of a quarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clarke-duncan/i-believe-that-teachers-committed-to-the-community-are-the-ones-who/)

[Michael Clarke Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clarke-duncan/)

> [Half a truth is better than no politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/half-a-truth-is-better-than-no-politics/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [“Is literature better, is politics better, for having discarded the moralist and the philosopher?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/is-literature-better-is-politics-better-for-having-discarded-the/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [I am better at politics than I am at anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/i-am-better-at-politics-than-i-am-at-anything-else/)

[Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/)

> [A better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/a-better-politics-is-one-where-we-appeal-to-each-other-s-basic/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The more aspects of life that can be moved from private reign to public realm, the better it is for politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-more-aspects-of-life-that-can-be-moved-from-private-reign-to/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I probably do better not being in politics. They have too much control over you when you are in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/i-probably-do-better-not-being-in-politics-they-have-too-much-control/)

[Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/)

> [We all have that one teacher who's like: 'Don't pack up yet. There's still 11 seconds of class left...'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-that-one-teacher-who-s-like-don-t-pack-up-yet-there-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [As the daughter of a schoolteacher, I feel very strongly that the most important thing in school takes place right there in that classroom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-healey/as-the-daughter-of-a-schoolteacher-i-feel-very-strongly-that-the-most/)

[Kerry Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-healey/)

> [Professors rarely speak of the place of eros or the erotic in our classrooms. Trained in the philosophical context of Western metaphysical dualism, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/professors-rarely-speak-of-the-place-of-eros-or-the-erotic-in-our/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [Educators remind us that what counts in a classroom is not what the teacher teaches; it’s what the learner learns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/educators-remind-us-that-what-counts-in-a-classroom-is-not-what-the/)

[Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/)

> [1st Friend:- Arre yrr ek kam krega? . . .. . . . . . . . 2nd friend:- GHANTA.. DIrty NooTtEe BoYs RocKS :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-noottee-pandey/1st-friend-arre-yrr-ek-kam-krega-2nd-friend-ghanta-dirty-noottee-boys/)

[Shubham Noottee Pandey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-noottee-pandey/)

> [As they work hard for our children, America's teachers often reach into their own pockets to make sure they have the best classroom supplies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warner/as-they-work-hard-for-our-children-america-s-teachers-often-reach/)

[John Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warner/)

> [But while they're adding teachers in places like South Korea, we're laying them off in droves. It's unfair to our kids. It undermines their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-while-they-re-adding-teachers-in-places-like-south-korea-we-re/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We will learn no matter what! Learning is as natural as rest or play. With or without books, inspiring trainers or classrooms, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-knowles/we-will-learn-no-matter-what-learning-is-as-natural-as-rest-or-play/)

Malcolm Knowles

## More by Lawrence O'Donnell

> [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-witnesses-say-when/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. The top level \[Barack\] Obama appointees will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-this-case-the-government-will-essentially-be-run-by-the-people-who/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [I've never understood the value of putting someone on television to lie, knowing that they're going to lie ahead of time, knowing that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-ve-never-understood-the-value-of-putting-someone-on-television-to/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [The Trump view of immigration defies our history. Immigration is a transaction that has historically benefited the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-trump-view-of-immigration-defies-our-history-immigration-is-a/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [ I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She \[Hillary Clinton\] is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-don-t-think-anybody-knows-it-was-russia-that-broke-into-the-dnc-she/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [If a reader comes across a story that makes them cry, you can be sure that the writer felt every single thing that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-a-reader-comes-across-a-story-that-makes-them-cry-you-can-be-sure/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [National security advisors are not there to be advocates, generally. They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

> [Melania Trump's husband tweeted this: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/melania-trump-s-husband-tweeted-this-arianna-huffington-is/)

[Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

[Explore all 214 Lawrence O'Donnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/)

## More Better quotes

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/)

[Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/)

> [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/)

[Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/)

[Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/)

> [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/)

[Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/)

> [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/)

[Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/)

> [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/)

[John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/)

> [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/)

[Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/)

> [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/)

[Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/)

> [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/)

[Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/)

> [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/)

[Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/)

> [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/)

[Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/)

Browse all 17,085 Better quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics has given them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lawrence O'Donnell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives-to-the-classroom-deserve/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Better"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives-to-the-classroom-deserve/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fc/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_better_teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives_2910980.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics has given them.” — Lawrence O'Donnell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lawrence O'Donnell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Teachers who have committed their lives...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives-to-the-classroom-deserve/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/teachers-who-have-committed-their-lives-to-the-classroom-deserve/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
