Why teachers are not respected….and never will be
COVID is a great exposer. COVID has exposed flaws in our healthcare system, our government, and in the way we do our jobs. However, there has been no greater unveiling during COVID than the flaws in our education system.
COVID has intensified gaps that have existed in education for generations, gaps based on language proficiency, ethnicity, and wealth. We knew that these flaws in our system existed, however, there is one flaw that we hadn’t considered….teachers as babysitters, and school as daycare.
Now, as we begin to consider how to safely return to school, teachers have become the target of online parent Facebook groups. Most of these groups seem to consist of right-wing anti-government moms and dads who believe that teachers are simply freeloaders.
These folks believe, and say publicly, that teachers should just shut up and do their job, if nurses and police officers can work, so can teachers. I wish I could say that this disrespect is new, but it isn’t, this disrespect towards teachers has been happening for over 200 years. Teachers have, in fact, been disrespected since the beginning of public education in America.
It is no wonder why more teachers than ever, over 40% where I teach in the state of Colorado, are heading for the exits. We didn’t sign up to babysit, we signed up…
