“If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,” is a saying most of us understand, but one which we may not always follow. We are happy, however, if the product we get matches the money we spend. For example, owners of a professional athletic team are happy to pay an athlete five million dollars if he or she will return ten to fifteen million in revenues to the team. The same holds true in every financial deal. If the product is worth the money spent, we are happy.

The teacher’s influence in producing a successful product goes far beyond simply teaching children to read or write. When a student in my class took the time to copy one of William Blake’s poems over into her notebook because she “found it to be fascinating,” and wanted to know where she could get a complete copy of his works to read on her own, I knew that she had gained an experience which would translate into an immeasurable gift, not only for today, but for the rest of her life.

When one of my seniors came in the other day and proudly read his acceptance letter to college aloud, the first in the class, I saw the smiles and hopes on the faces of all of the other students who were developing their future educational plans. At that point, I knew that the product we were turning out was a success.

Is the money we spend for education worth the product we receive? Should we be spending less money? You decide, but remember if you choose to spend less, keep in mind the saying, “if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.” You get what you pay for, product for product.