Are You Smarter than a Future Rocket Scientist? (Another Response to Senator Holdman)

Public Education Matters

2.10.10

Are You Smarter than a Future Rocket Scientist? (Another response to Senator Holdman)

Are you smarter than a 10 year old?

Printed below is the text of a letter written by the son of my colleague, Tori. Hayden Emrah is 10 years old and will soon be starring as Albert Einstein in a public school program. I asked Hayden (aka Albert) to write down the thoughts that he expressed to his mother after he overheard us discussing the comments made by our State Senator Travis Holdman (regarding teachers) and how we would respond in a letter to the editor of our local paper. To read the letter to the editor that resulted from our discussions- http://publiceducationmatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/letter-to-my-state-senator-travis.html

Anyway, Hayden, it seems, was quite incredulous that anyone would criticize teachers or suggest that they get raises “just for breathing.”

And with much the same kind of sadness felt when having to inform Hayden’s younger sister Sophie that Santa Claus wasn’t real after she overheard the terrible “rumors” regarding jolly man’s existence- we had to inform Hayden that teachers (as well as the teaching profession) were not really very respected by many people, including a great many people in leadership and public servant positions. We had to tell the truth.

The worst thing about it was that while Santa is not really real, the disregard for teachers in our society is very palpably real and it’s starting to have an effect. I offer this excerpt from an article by John Norton in Teacher Magazine (2.10.11) as evidence. “I’ve been working with teachers as a journalist, writer, and online community moderator for more than 25 years. And I can’t remember a time when so many outstanding teachers were so discouraged about the conditions under which they’re working and the daily criticism they’re hearing from political leaders, school reform groups, and media pundits who’ve identified teachers as the chief cause of public education’s problems.”

Following Hayden’s letter is a subsequent letter to the editor that I wrote following an editorial that expressed the opinion that we teachers were being over-sensitive to Senator Holdman’s comments and that we were missing his real message. I felt compelled to answer that editorial. Why? Because unfortunately the disrespect for teachers is pervasive and it’s fueled by things like Senator Holdman’s public comments. So I just think that those of us who are articulate enough to do so, need to start standing up for ourselves.

Without further ado- Hayden’s letter (unedited)

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I think that teachers are important because if they were gone no one would have an education to qualify for jobs. If that happened, it will be less safety in our neighborhoods and more crime in our country. People need educated by teachers to make good choices.

People need educated by teachers in order to get jobs. If no one had a job, they would not have any money to get groceries, cars, houses, and pay taxes. This would hurt everyone in our country. More people would need government help which would bankrupt our nation.

Actually, I think that teachers are at the same spot as firefighters, police, and doctors. If there were no teachers, who would teach the firefighters, doctors, and police. If no teachers, fires would be every where and people would be sick like crazy, but no one would be able to steal anything because there would be nothing to steal! People need to understand we need teachers.

So that’s why I think teachers should be paid what they are worth. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I am 10 and I get it.

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And with a little further ado- is my letter. I just feel that “teacher bashing” whether it’s done through outrageous comments by legislators or by citizens blaming teachers unions for lousy teachers or poor student achievement, or by parents who don’t want to believe that their little precious baby could actually deserve a C rather than an A, or by any other means, needs to stop. And I think the only way it ever will is if we teachers stand up to the bullies. I feel we need to stand up in two ways. One is by being the best that we can be and the other is by speaking up.

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Concerning the editorial in the Feb. 6 News Banner, I want to say that I see the point that teachers (and everyone) should look beyond Senator Holdman’s words to the basic message that we all need to find ways that we might cut expenses in this economy. That point, contrary to your insinuation, was never lost on Mrs. Emrah and I.

Trust me, economic realities slap teachers in the face every day. Many of our students carry them right in the door.

Our letter tried to point out that we have ALREADY given. We are sorry that we didn’t spell out more clearly that we (teachers in Adams and Wells counties) have ALREADY either accepted or have been offered (some of us haven’t settled yet) either no increment raises, or ridiculously small increments. Also, some of our districts have already suggested that we take cuts from what we have already bargained for or agreed upon in the past.

What I’m trying to say is that Mr. Holdman was beating an already dead horse.

One has to wonder why? To what end?

Should his remark be excused because he’s new to politics? Could you possibly be suggesting that Mr. Holdman went to that meeting unprepared for his audience?
When Dave Shultz looked around the room, do you think he saw ANY teachers there? Of course not. WE were all busy at work, teaching.

Instead of talking to his audience about what they might do, Senator Holdman chose to give them a message about what another group of people should do. He chose to hold teachers up as examples of people who had not given yet at all.

I also reject that this came about because Senator Holdman has a candid leadership style. I wonder, when did candid start being synonymous with rude and uninformed?
But let’s go back to what you say Senator Holdman’s true message is, that the economy is in dire shape and we don’t have enough revenue to support our schools or support teacher salaries among other things; and that something needs to be done. Tell me then, why Senator Holdman is still encouraging (per his email newsletter, that I get regularly) that we should vote for property tax caps? Despite his saying that it’s looking like the trend is going to be that people are going to vote it down, in his newsletter he’s still urging support for it.

I think a real apology would involve him saying that he was wrong to make the remarks to that particular audience that did not include us and that next time if he has something he’d like to say to us, he will speak with us directly and not try to pit the public against us.

I think that a real apology would involve him discovering, acknowledging, and thanking us for what we have already given and asking our opinions on how we might work together and not against each other.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond,
Cindi Pastore