Open Letters From a Teacher - A MUST Read

Here's an open letter from Taylor the Teacher to Mommy bloggers and another one, a fantastic one, for American parents. I'm not an American but the issues and problems outlined in Taylor's letters don't stop at the American border. Those of us in Canada have to deal with them as well. And I'm betting those in the U.K., in Brazil, in Indonesia and beyond have to as well.

The letters are a call to start talking about education. I hope that people also take it as a challenge to start talking about it beyond the cliques we've formed - the homeschoolers, the libertarians, the math reformers, etc. Yes, some of us talk about education but we do it in a piss-poor insular way that never gets loud enough for those outside our circle to hear. We let issues like class size, 'fuzzy' math and creationism in the classroom consume our discussions while the deeper truth is that they're simply symptoms of a system that has fundamental faults.

Anyhow, here's a taste of Taylor's You Got Punk’d: An Open Letter to American Parents:

The establishment has convinced you to send your child to that place. On your dime. Then, they told you that teachers are your enemy. Even if they’re right about us, how can you allow THEM to alienate you from the people who administer your child’s education every day? Particularly if you believe we’re evil and incompetent?

It's my favourite bit because I can see that same strategy in place against parents, especially those of us who take a more active role in our children's education. Divide and conquer, eh?

Anyhow, read her letters and pass them on.