Could Someone Inform me What Makes a "Real" Educator?

Ed Reform... Public Education is failing. Do people disagree with that? We need good teachers in classrooms, any arguments there?  As a democracy it is vital that we have a public schools to educate our population. There are schools all over the country, public, public-charter, charter... that are having success. 

I think one of the things that no one anticipated with NCLB was this idea of stress and pressure. I have seen really wonderful principal forced to move into failing school, and fired after not being able to turn it around in two years. I see teachers and principals feeling stressed looking at students formal benchmark assessments leading up to state exams. I see students performing well below grade level, continuing to be passed on, and budgets being cut to prevent students from receiving the academic assistance they need. When animals are backed into a corner they fight back. Right now I feel like urban public schools are somewhere in this process... some have given in and given up, some are still fighting back against Ed Reform, some are just going through the motions, many are desperately trying to change with the common core, larger class sizes, and staff cut backs leaving the teachers over worked and under supported. Many strong veteran teachers have moved to closing their door and just doing their thing. 

In my time off I get to read a lot of articles and blogs. I read frustrated teachers venting about Common Core, blaming administrators, blaming charter schools. I get it. I was definitely there. So stressed out and frustrated you lose an element of rationality. So I understand where the teacher who had originally written this statement comes from. She writes "To real educators, corporate education reform ideas are simply insane." 

I would really like to know who are "real educators"? And perhaps this is why I feel like I'm a limbo teacher. I have an BA in Education, I've taught in public schools, my time in charter schools made me a better educator, and my masters program focused more on data, teacher performance, and teaching techniques was a great balance to my much more theoretical background from undergrad. 

I believe in public education. I think competition from charters should be allowed. I think we can all learn from each other. I believe in the long run common core is good for education. I think there is an element of "Fit" for teachers, administrators, and it's okay to admit things might not be a good fit, fit for age, fit for subject. We all need to breathe, relax, and remind ourselves why we got into this profession in the first place. We are at our best when our hearts and minds are at peace. 

I believe that I am a "real educator" and I don't think that every idea coming out of education reform is insane. Is it hard? Yes. Does it need to be financially supported? Yes. Do we need to re-educate teachers to make these changes? Yes. But just because something is hard doesn't make it insane. Think about our kids with learning disabilities, we can't just give up when things get hard, we have to keep fighting, just like so many of our kids do each and everyday.