Introduction

Hi, everyone! 

I’m Toni McGee, also known as Mrs. McGee, and I have dedicated my life to public education, as a teacher, a mentor, and a student of  professional practice. I received my MA in Education from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin and BS in English and Speech Communication in Secondary Education from UW-La Crosse, WI. In 2018, I received my HLC (Higher Learning Commission) certification to teach college English classes to high school students. 

I started my career in 1992 in a rural Wisconsin town - shout-out to Random Lake, Wisconsin!  and continued to develop my practice as I taught in a few Wisconsin communities, including my hometown of Columbus. I’ve taught 7th - 12th grade ELA in urban and rural districts and also taught technical college English classes as a dual credit option for kids wanting to get a head start in their post-secondary education. Since June, 2024, I’ve retired from teaching, but continue to advocate for free, public education.  I’ve published a book, Keep Teaching, to further spread the message that school districts are struggling to keep their teachers.  We’re losing fantastic teachers to other industries because society deems public education as a “want,” rather than a “need” and refuses to pay teachers what they are worth.  In essence, teachers are underappreciated and undervalued.  My goal with this site, along with my good friend, JoEllen, is to make people aware of all that is happening in public education.  We want to entertain and inform our audience what it’s like to be a public school teacher as well as make you aware of what you can do to help support teachers in your local communities.  Empowering teachers to do what they know to be true, through their professional pedagogy, is what will educate our newest generations.  We’ll tackle the issues that our colleagues are facing and can disrupt the learning of our students.  We’ll always put our students first because that’s what great teachers do.  We appreciate that you’re here, and we hope you enjoy our site and all that it offers. Let the learning begin!