It's amazing, isn't it? Two of the earliest memes to come out of the pandemic were about teachers:
1. Everyone knew teachers weren't paid enough, but no one knew just how underpaid they are until they had to teach their own kids.
2. People quickly learned that their kids' teachers weren't lying. Teaching your kids really is a pain in the ass.
Those memes were quickly forgotten as all the other late-pandemic craziness with masks and vaccines and everything else came to our collective attention. And what got lost in the shuffle? The fact that record numbers of teachers quit their jobs rather than continue to put their mental and physical health at risk in light of the extraordinary job they were asked to do. And that's the point that I want to ask all the politicians right now.
Schools were already underfunded, school districts were already unbalanced with resources unevenly distributed, and then the pandemic came along and not only highlighted but exacerbated those problems. And now you want to go back to "the way things were?" With what funding? With what teachers?
The public at large and politicians in specific need to be brought to the understanding that "the way things were done" became antiquated with the advent of World War II and had only continued until now because of inertia. We have such an opportunity to change, to bring education in the modern age and, well, as you have said, here are the politicians taking three steps back for every half-step forward.
My apologies for ranting in your comments. Thank you for the thought provoking, even if hackle-raising, post. :)
It's amazing, isn't it? Two of the earliest memes to come out of the pandemic were about teachers:
1. Everyone knew teachers weren't paid enough, but no one knew just how underpaid they are until they had to teach their own kids.
2. People quickly learned that their kids' teachers weren't lying. Teaching your kids really is a pain in the ass.
Those memes were quickly forgotten as all the other late-pandemic craziness with masks and vaccines and everything else came to our collective attention. And what got lost in the shuffle? The fact that record numbers of teachers quit their jobs rather than continue to put their mental and physical health at risk in light of the extraordinary job they were asked to do. And that's the point that I want to ask all the politicians right now.
Schools were already underfunded, school districts were already unbalanced with resources unevenly distributed, and then the pandemic came along and not only highlighted but exacerbated those problems. And now you want to go back to "the way things were?" With what funding? With what teachers?
The public at large and politicians in specific need to be brought to the understanding that "the way things were done" became antiquated with the advent of World War II and had only continued until now because of inertia. We have such an opportunity to change, to bring education in the modern age and, well, as you have said, here are the politicians taking three steps back for every half-step forward.
My apologies for ranting in your comments. Thank you for the thought provoking, even if hackle-raising, post. :)