I thought it was ironic that the whole Favre Saga was ramping up around back-to-school time...and it just got me thinking about the worth of expectations.

GG will enter K5 this fall, and I expect her teacher to relate to her as an individual with unique capabilities, and teach her in that manner.  I also expect that her teacher will maintain order in the class and encourage good behavior.  I expect GG's teacher to be attentive to her, while also being equally attentive to the other kids.  I expect that her teacher will put in whatever time is necessary to do a good job -- and I understand that this may mean workdays that exceed 8 hours.  I expect her teacher to have open communication with Jamie and me about GG's progress and challenges.  Finally, I'd certainly hope that GG's teacher will be a role model that all the kids look up to.  That's a pretty tall order, but isn't it close to what we, as parents, expect from teachers?  What about you parents sending your little ones off to daycare?  What are your expectations?  And what are our expectations worth?

Kindergarten schoolteachers' salaries start at a little over $27,000 and cap at a little over $52,000 depending upon experience, education and area of specialty.  Daycare providers' salaries start at about $17,500 and cap at around $24,000 depending upon experience, education and area of specialty.

So what expectations did Brett have to live up to?  What were they worth?  (Understand, this really isn't about Brett, I like the guy -- replace his name with any other sports figure if you want)  Anyway, the expectations were that he'd be in shape for the upcoming season, use that legendary arm, run fast, read plays well, and maybe even take us to the Super Bowl.  In 2007, these expectations were worth a cool $11 million; and then this year, he was offered $20 million to not meet those expectations.....both were a lot more than a teacher or daycare provider's salary at the top of their game.

Am I missing something here?....I don't know, I just wonder what kind of saga would play out if a teacher announced retirement or requested a transfer to a different school.  Would it make the headlines and cause the heartache like Brett's retirement-unretirement did?

I don't have a snappy bow to tie up this article; but as we begin the school year, I'd like to offer my sincerest, deepest thanks to all of the teachers and daycare providers who are living up to our high expectations even without the lure of a professional sports figure's hefty compensation.  Too often, they're the unsung heroes.  Many miss their own kids' first day of school because they're welcoming our kids on that day and even comforting the Nervous Nelly Parents among us.  Because we know our kids are safe with them, we can have peace of mind as we release our kids into their care.

I don't know about you, but that's priceless to me -- especially as a working mom.  And if it were up to me, the teachers and daycare providers would be the ones in the headlines because more often than not, they exceed the expectations we have of them.

If you have a special thank you to your teacher or childcare provider, or if you want to share what they mean to you and your family click on the comment button.  We can never say thank you enough to these special angels!