LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Two months ago, I booked a Reading Roadtrip at Brady Elementary in Little Rock, on the same day as the teachers' strike.
Getting to read meant crossing the picket line, but it wasn't a problem.
These Brady teachers were supporting one another and were glad I was reading. I got the feeling talking to them that they, too, couldn't wait to get back into the classroom.
And they were sorry they were missing story-time.
We had about 50 first-graders and I'm sure their numbers were down a bit, but the ones in the room loved the Star Wars book: "Are You Scared Darth Vader?"
A famous villain becomes a source of comedy and in the end, it was a big finish.
I'm sure these kids are aware of what's going on in the schools to some degree. It felt good to change the story for a little while.