08/26/2026
Today, we mourn the passing of Dolly Parton, an extraordinary artist whose impact reached far beyond music.
As advocates for teachers and working people, we at the Ysleta Teachers Association have long admired Dollyโs commitment to literacy and her belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn and dream. Through the Imagination Library, she put that belief into action, putting millions of books into the hands of children.
But Dollyโs legacy is also one of compassion and advocacy. She consistently used her platform to lift up people who are too often overlooked, disenfranchised, or marginalized. She understood that dignity, opportunity, and economic independence are not privileges. They are things every person deserves.
Her advocacy for womenโs financial independence and wage equity reflected that same belief: that people should have the ability to support themselves, their families, and their dreams through their own hard work.
Dolly Parton reminded us that you can be enormously successful without forgetting where you came from, and that having a platform means having an opportunity to lift someone else up.
On behalf of the educators and working families we represent, Iโm grateful for the example she leaves behind.
Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for the books, the music, the kindness, and most importantly, for never forgetting the people who needed a hand up.
โ Jeffrey Cynor
President, Ysleta Teachers Association