For Labor Day, I want to give a shout out to all the veterans in education. Whether you have served 10 20 30 or more years. I want to celebrate you! You have endured some of the most difficult changes education has ever faced. You witnessed standardized testing grow into an overwhelming system of high-stakes pressure, excessive data collection, and constant documentation. You adapted to new standards, new technology, new programs, and an endless cycle of initiatives. You carried students and families through COVID, even while facing your own fears, losses, and uncertainty. You have watched respect for educators decline while expectations continued to rise. You have been asked to do more with less, solve problems you did not create, and meet needs that extend far beyond the classroom. And yet, you continued to show up. You taught the lesson again. You encouraged the struggling student. You supported the overwhelmed colleague. You welcomed the nervous parent. You kept schools functioning during some of the toughest years education has ever experienced. Most people will never fully understand what it takes to dedicate decades of your life to serving students, families, and communities. They will never know how many evenings, weekends, personal dollars, and pieces of your heart you have invested. There are adults walking through the world today who are stronger, wiser, and more confident because you once believed in them. So, thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for caring for our children. Thank you!