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To Teachers Who Just Can’t Bring Themselves to Take a Stand
Please tell me why
It distresses me to see teacher friends not supporting Black Lives Matter. They post memes on social media such as #AllLivesMatter, whose contribution to the discussion is to remind us of the police who have lost their lives in the line of duty, or who focus on the rioting and looting without trying to understand it. It distresses me no matter who shares them, but especially if they are teachers or who serve in any capacity interacting with children.
In the public schools, the teaching profession requires a bachelor’s degree and a professional license at the very least. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are all critical thinkers, which is a problem. At this pivotal moment as a country, unless we are in denial, we are examining our hearts, minds, and souls in pursuit of the truth regarding racism.
I write as a teacher in Hawaii. I started my career in Guam, but most of my service has been in Hawaii. I retired early, weary of the obsession with test scores. I still work as a substitute teacher to supplement my pension and because I love kid energy. I have always worked in schools that have a high rate of poverty, but I only remember one black student in my over twenty years teaching here. The demographics are different here for sure. But, we too need to…
