Today we were told we are in even more trouble. We may be closed or all fired. Someone must go to court to represent our school. We were told, "our usual 'excuses' will not be acceptable anymore." We were told, "You cannot blame the kids; you cannot blame the parents. It is your fault."
I, for one, do not blame the kids. I do not blame the parents either. I am not saying I am perfect, or have never done these things, but I always have given a lot of credit to our kids and to their families. I firmly believe that all but the smallest percentage of parents care deeply about their kids, but not all are well equipped or ready to deal with the issues, stresses, and commitment involved in parenting, let alone parenting well. Many are dealing with their own issues and problems. Many are working multiple jobs to just keep a roof over their head or food on the table. Many are dealing with drug or alcohol addictions or trying to stay alive or facing abusive situations or trying to make bad relationships work. Many parents care a great deal, but just don't know what to do or where to turn. Whether "the judge," or the county higher-ups, or the president, or anyone else for that matter, likes it or not, these are not excuses, they are facts. The facts that so many of our students live with. The facts that many of us teachers are trying to find ways to work around. That many of us teachers are trying to help our students rise above.
Unless we acknowledge these facts, nothing is going to change. Making the teachers the scourge of society, blaming it all on us, and even firing all of us will not fix this mess of an education system either. All that is going to happen is politicians keep their jobs a little longer because they can put it on our backs. But in the end, the children will be the biggest losers in this reality show that's not a "show" but true reality. That is what is most discouraging to me.
