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We rely on doctors when we need medical attention. We count on plumbers to fix a leak. So why don’t we do the same for our teachers? They go to school for years to earn degrees in education. They study curriculum, child development, and teaching strategies. Yet, many people think they know better and are demanding control in the classroom.
Republican state lawmakers across the US are introducing bills that would require teachers to post all their materials online so that parents can review them.
At the heart of these bills is the suggestion that something nefarious is happening, something that schools don’t want parents to see. And it’s rooted in a culture war that teachers should not be dragged into.
Do you remember my segment on Critical Race Theory and how it’s not actually being taught in schools, but it’s being used as sort of a way for parents to grasp at any indicator that–gasp–the realities of systemic racism are being taught to our children?
Well, posting every detail of a curriculum essentially invites parents to look for more things to complain about, and these bills even open up avenues for parents to sue schools if they don’t like what they see.
Here’s what these bills are about. They’re about trying to get teachers to stop educating their students about matters of race and gender. They’re about trying to get teachers to present “impartial” opinions about things like the Holocaust, or slavery, or LGBTQ rights. It’s about censorship. That’s it.
Oh, and of course it also adds to the workload of teachers who are already taxed beyond belief.
One lawmaker even supports a requirement for teachers to wear body cameras. The invasiveness of this is truly astonishing, and, were it to be implemented, would almost certainly lead to resignations.
We need more teachers, not fewer, and the way to keep this most important of professions filled with the very best talent is to treat teachers with decency, respect, and autonomy.
You want your kids to hold a specific opinion that you yourself share? You should totally talk to them about it. It’s called parenting. Let the teachers teach.
