Teachers and parents should speak up
- col-lee-elliot-aging-graciously
- April 8, 2025
- 556
As a news junkie, I am carefully following the events of the world each day, curious to see how different media present facts or supposed facts. There is, of course, a great difference in these presentations. The media has a huge responsibility to tell the truth, but unfortunately, each interprets truth in its own way, according to its politics.
I heard on the radio the other day that the Ohio Board of Education hopes to cut more than a million dollars from its annual budget and add 59 more hours to the school year. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know, but I do know what will happen if it is.
There is a lot of talk about the failure of public schools and how state money should be put into private schools instead. As a 30-year public schoolteacher, I have taught regular school years in six different high schools in three different states, as well as many different grade levels in summer school. I will admit I have seen a few really bad teachers, but very few. Teachers have an exceptionally strong sense of responsibility when it comes to their jobs — their students.
Educational plans are constantly being changed at the state level, often by people who have never served in the classroom. Emphasize the word serve, for that is why we are there.
If that large of a sum of money is cut from the annual budget, you can say goodbye to music, art, theater, physical education, and possibly special and vocational education. Those are the areas not considered important to a well-rounded future. I cannot tell you how many students I have known who only stayed in school for those classes and who later became successful, contributing members of society because of them.
If you have taught for 30 years, you know the educational plan changes every few years and eventually ends up back where it started, just to start the process all over again. Someone’s big idea this, someone’s big idea that.
If people think nothing is being taught in the classroom, they should come and observe. I ask: How much emphasis is being put on education at home? Where are the parents who do not impress its importance on their children? Where are the parents who don’t communicate with teachers? Why do we have cellphones in the classroom? When our math and English scores were higher, there were no cellphones. How many students aren’t interested in learning because they are hungry? How many stayed up late to watch a TV show?
In this age of physical and mental maladies, many families are in desperate need of help for their special needs children. The whole Earth is in need of those whose talents lie in the vocational fields. Take those things away, and what is left?
I hope all public school teachers and parents will speak up. Decisions should not be made by one side or the other. They should be in agreement as to what is best for our students and devise a plan to keep it that way. Please pay attention. Don’t tune out the news.