By AMY GESENHUES
The Teacher’s Association at New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation should consider hiring a publicist. Or, maybe just a consultant, someone who can field media questions before their President starts making hostile, unfortunate comments about an event that happened over a year ago.
They need someone who can help assuage concerns from parents like me. Moms and dads whose children are about to enter the New Albany-Floyd County School system and who are now wondering if they will ever have to defend their child against an organization that is supposed to support both teachers and students.
The Tribune ran a follow-up article last week about a family that has been trying to seek legal action against a teacher who had called their son, “ ... pathetic,” and, “ignorant, selfish, self-absorbed.” She rallied the class to comment on his behavior and reduced the student to tears. (According to a digital recorder that the child had in his pocket, the teacher asks the class “ ... is that somebody you want to be with?” “No,” answers the class in unison.)
When the President of the Teacher’s Association was called last week to give comments on the year-old story, he forgot to say, “It was an unfortunate incident all around and as an organization that supports teachers and students, we only want what is best for all individuals affected. We hope this matter will be resolved without causing any more pain to the teacher or the student,” end of comment. Period.
But he didn’t. Instead, the president of the Teacher’s Association, an association whose Web site lists, “To provide the best educational opportunities possible for each student,” as it’s first mission statement, said, “If she [the offending teacher] made any mistake, her mistake was not getting rid of him [the five-year old child she called pathetic],” and that, “It’s sad to see what has happened to her [again, the teacher], all over money.”
According to the President of the Teacher’s Association, the child’s parents are following through on the case because they are just out for money. If so, someone should give the family a head’s up that the last place to go for money is our public school system.
Let’s not dwell on the individuals involved for a moment. Instead, I’d like to think about what the teacher’s actions and, now the President’s comments, mean to our public school community on a theoretical level.
The student was a kindergartener. He was five-years old at the time. I have a five year old. She still believes in Santa Clause. She makes deals with me like, “ ... if I eat one more bite of my broccoli, can I have two Popsicles?” She is often self-absorbed, as most five-year olds are. I cannot imagine the rage I would feel if I found out someone who was supposed to be taking care of her and teaching her had called her pathetic, ignorant, and selfish ... in front of her classmates.
I get that teachers lose their cool. I know their job is extremely difficult, probably one of the most difficult jobs there are, second only to moms who work inside the home. There is no way in a million years that I could lead a group of five-year olds day in and day out, teaching them how to read and do simple math all the while. But that’s what a teacher’s job is. And if she’s prone to lose her cool, then she needs to reconsider her career.
As familiar as I am with the behavior of a five-year old, I know adults even better. It has been my experience that if somebody does something offensive, or out of line, it’s probably not the first time it has happened. You don’t just wake up one day and all of a sudden begin making inappropriate comments toward a child, even a problem child.
The President of the Teacher’s Association confirmed that the teacher was a, “ ... veteran teacher,” and has received, “excellent evaluations.” I had veteran teachers during my school days-doing something until you’re tenured doesn’t mean you’re good at it, and her evaluations were probably not given by her five year old students. The President blamed the school corporation for not putting a stop to it early on. I wonder if the teacher ever came to her own teacher’s association for help?
My concern isn’t about who is at fault. My concern is with the President of the Teacher’s Association commentary on the topic. If you are the leading member of an organization that is supposed to represent teachers and students, making hostile comments toward either group you represent is not in anyone’s best interest.
Regardless of the student’s behavior, the teacher’s actions, or the parent’s reaction, hostile remarks toward anyone involved within the circumstance create an us-them relationship which only reinforces the problem at large: that we are not all on the same page when it comes to doing what is best for the children.
Amy Gesenhues is a freelance writer who lives in Floyd County. You can read her daily commentaries at www.AmyWroteIt.Wordpress.com. E-mail her directly at amy@amywroteit.com.
