Some of the most dedicated, hard-working people I’ve ever met were elementary school educators. When you add to that teachers who focus on special education needs to that group, you have people who are dedicating a big part of their lives to a job that typically pays 20% less than other professions, and they work in that profession because they love it and believe in it. Once upon a time, teachers were role models in communities. I remember my mother bringing gifts and goodoes to parent-teacher conferences all the time. Today, though, teachers are facing an odorous response. And by odor, I definitely mean of the “that stinks” variety.
Tabatha Rosporoy won the award for 2020 National Teacher of the Year. Her work was fantastic, and as a preschool teacher, she would have been involved in helping young disabled students and their parents find potential solutions. It was all great—until Tabatha posted in Facebook that she wouldn’t patronize local businesses that sold masks but didn’t require customers to wear them. The next thing she knew? She opens the mail and someone took time to send her poop. What the hell?
This story is one that is happening all over the country. In my local county, a Republican representative is asking constituents to show up to help with banning books. From his email:
In response to this shocking material turning up in our schools, and the many reports I have since received of other politically and sexually charged material in the school curriculum, I've joined a coalition of legislators demanding more transparency about what our kids are being taught in school. I am supporting House Bill 2662, which will require schools to post curricula on the internet so parents can see what their kids are learning.
There are so many problems with this that I am unsure of where to start. Posting curricula is not a solution—take it from someone who was in middle school when the Challenger exploded. I remember the invasion of Iraq in my senior year of high school. Posting a curricula at the beginning of the year would mean, under these guidelines, that teachers would be prohibited from talking about major events when kids ask.
That is not how education works. School kids are smart enough to ask questions, and working to give them answers is part of the educational process. There will no doubt be radicals who are going to get upset about every book out there, for whatever reason.
No one is teaching anything you truly fear to special education preschool children. Go in. Watch. If you need to feel better about anything in the world today, go watch a young student with underdeveloped fine motor skills shape clay or hold a Crayon.
If you are still mad, then find a better way—preferably one that eschews sending shit in the mail to teachers. I mean, come on, guys.