Navigating the intricacies of education, particularly regarding childcare and the school system, is a task that invites opinions from all corners. After all, what could be more crucial than ensuring the proper nurturing and development of the next generation as they traverse the pivotal stages of their lives?
In 2017, a retired teacher named Lisa Roberson shook the education discourse with an open letter published in the Augusta Chronicle. Her words ignited a debate that continues to reverberate through educational circles, questioning the roles of parents and teachers in shaping the school system.
Lisa’s letter predates the global pandemic that reshaped education systems worldwide. It offers insights into longstanding issues that existed before the era of remote learning and hybrid classrooms.
Many of said changes during that difficult time were met with divided reactions among the people of the US, so it’s clear that folk have a good deal to say on the state of the education system and what might be done to fix it.
In her letter, Lisa Roberson dismisses the prevalent notion that teachers bear the brunt of responsibility for educational shortcomings. Instead, she directs the spotlight towards parents, attributing systemic issues to their perceived failures in nurturing and preparing their children for school.
“As a retired teacher, I am sick of people who know nothing about public schools or have not been in a classroom recently deciding how to fix our education system,” read Lisa’s letter.
“The teachers are not the problem! Parents are the problem! They are not teaching their children manners, respect or even general knowledge of how to get along with others.
“The children come to school in shoes that cost more than the teacher’s entire outfit, but have no pencil or paper. Who provides them? The teachers often provide them out of their own pockets.
“When you look at schools that are “failing,” look at the parents and students. Do parents come to parent nights? Do they talk with teachers regularly? Do they make sure their children are prepared by having the necessary supplies? Do they make sure their children do their homework?
“Do they have working telephone numbers? Do the students take notes in class? Do they do their homework? Do the students listen in class, or are they the sources of class disruptions?
“When you look at these factors, you will see that it is not schools that are failing but the parents. Teachers cannot do their jobs and the parents’ job. Until parent step up and do their job, nothing is going to get better!”
Lisa Roberson’s letter sparked widespread debate, prompting stakeholders within the education sphere to reevaluate the dynamics between parents, teachers, and the broader school community.
What do you think of the letter? Are parents to blame? Or does the full responsibility lie at the feet of the teachers? Let us know in the comments.
