I recently saw a mother on TV reading a statement criticizing her child’s teacher. The reason was the teacher was telling her class (elementary) how important it is to be kind to one another. The mother viewed this as indoctrination. Yes, I too am scratching my head.
Hovering helicopter parents have been replaced by Kamikaze-like parents, some now demanding cameras in classrooms. Will they protest when physics teachers present new theories that challenge older theories.? Will they protest when health and biology teachers talk about sexual reproduction? Will they challenge the portrayal of those noble conquistadores who brutally conquered the Aztecs in Mexico? Ditto the white settlers who did a good job of nearly decimating the native American Indians. If anyone had claims to this land it was the Indians. They were here first and had a legitimate claim to the land. Whites, Brown, Blacks and Yellows arrived late to the party and can’t claim that right.
Moving out of the classroom, should we have cameras in pediatricians’ offices to make sure children aren’t abused? What about Boy and Girl Scout meetings? What about camps for kids? What about athletic locker rooms?
What about Sunday School classes? Watch out for the word “smite” which is rampant in the Old Testament. There are accounts of rape (Dinah in Genesis 34), genocide, dismembering of a concubine in Judges 19, murders, child abuse, stoning of humans and crucifixions used by the Romans. Do we sweep this under the rug? Where do you draw the line?
If you want to go after a few bad apples (every profession has its share), do so but stop behaving like pesky gnats waging a carte blanche diatribe against all teachers. Get out of our hair. Let us teach facts and truth and we will let you do what you do.
And if you do challenge a teacher, make sure it is for something more serious than teaching kindness.
Home schooling is always an option if you don’t like the curricula approved by the State Boards of Education.
Rose Hess
Retired teacher
Bowling Green
