We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom. The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where's our desks?"

And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"No," she said.

"Maybe it's our behavior."

And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing, third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class.

They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you."

Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids - for the first time I think perhaps in their lives - understood how they earned those desks.

Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it."

I've seen this before and if true would be something students would not forget.

AMEN !

Too cool

Good stuff right thar !!!!!!!!

Snopes says it's true. Way to go, teacher.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/desk-jockeyed/

Great lesson! And a great parallel to another gift we don’t have to, and can’t, earn.

Yeh. It MAY have happened( I still HIGHLY DOUBT IT....since about half of what is on the net is not real) But, I know it wouldn’t go over well in DISD. Their would be irate parents with pending law suits. The armed forces didn’t earn the seats. The armed forces are payed, by US citizens, to protect our country. The same citizens that pay for the armed forces, paid for those desks.

I know...less patriotic, but true. I served in 88-90. I was paid too. I love our country, I also love what it stands for.

IMO, this teacher had no right to object those students a place to sit. This is a lesson that can be taught without the mellow dramatic theatrics. A classroom in a school is not a place to force children to respect military personnel. The teacher, however right in their own mind, should have been reprimanded for misappropriation of school funds. The teacher needs to teach the curriculum that they are PAID to teach, in a manner that is approved by the school board.

Again. My opinion.

Steez you so serious