Along with many other people, I am very concerned about the exodus of so many solid teachers! When I wear my “tinfoil hat,” I have the vision that the exodus is on purpose. Why? Because there is a small group of folks who want to change the USA and one way to change our nation is through public education. That group sees the older teachers as an inhibitor to the change. The majority of teachers with over 15 years of experience have not been trained with “Woke” (CRT) curriculum. Many of the teachers with more than 15 years of experience are not “buying” the idea of “oppressor vs. oppressed.” White people are privileged. BIPOC are victims. Meritocracy is racist. The United States of America is a bad nation. A nation that has problems that it will not fix! (Oppose to a nation that has more liberty / freedom than a majority of the nations in the WORLD) Public schools (at least in California) are being forced to accept Critical Race Theory not as a theory – but as fact.
K-12 students need to focus on reading, writing, arithmetic, and also learning how great (NOT PERFECT) our nation is. How they (K-12 STUDENTS) need to continue to have a nation that reflects the Constitution. Our teachers need to go back being teachers, not “synthetic” parents. There are too many teachers referring to their students as “my kids” and literally mean “my kids.” No. They are not your kids. It’s one thing to say, “teach your students has if they were your children.” When I tell young teachers that philosophy, what I mean is – would you have said that to your son or daughter? Would you have behaved that way toward your son and daughter? Because that student IS someone’s son / daughter!
Before the students are exposed to a theory, such as Critical Race Theory, the students should have a solid foundation of what the United States of America is. Too many high school graduates will have ONE YEAR… ONE YEAR… of U.S. history! To graduate from high school, have the students pass the test to become a U.S. citizen (Arizona does this). It’s much like one must have a solid foundation of their native language before he / she learns a new language. Too many of our high school graduates do not know the Bill of Rights / Constitution / The Federalist Papers, etc., let alone basic U.S. history and then they are given “theory” as “fact.”
Here is one Ethnic Studies topic, Redlining. That “redlining” still exists, when in fact it is against the law! https://www.cbsnews.com/video/redlining-is-illegal-but-some-say-its-still-around/ Did the Ethnic Studies teacher present that (redlining is illegal) as an example of when the United States sees something wrong, the nation has the ability to “fix it?”
About 10-12 years ago, Killarney High School was getting sized for their beautiful new marching band uniforms. The company’s representative whom I had known for several years. He was a friend. He asked, “Paul, can I talk to you about what I heard you tell your students?”
“Sure.”
The uniform salesman / my friend says to me, “I love what you are saying. I agree with what you are saying. Please know I am not criticizing the content. My concern is your message is more of a father to his children than a teacher to his students. Be careful not to be their father. You are their teacher. It is a fine line. FOR SURE! Just remember you are their teacher, not their father.” That changed my life as a teacher! I realized I had taken on too much of the role as a father. And yes … it is a fine line, but a line nonetheless!
I sent the attached letter to our local school board. From family and friends, I had a very positive response to the letter. Therefore, I want to share it with the world. I hope this letter to our local school board helps someone.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JhgF9V91XDHkiJiMxK_hTaR-JAEdSNNcjDqOM8ylTcA/edit?usp=sharing