I was talking to a very close friend of mine and she noticed that I was feeling really down about my job lately. Do not worry, this is not a “whoa is me” post. I am not happy about my job. It has a lot more to do with office BS than it has to do with what I am currently doing. I love teaching. I love my students. I love being able to foster a love of reading and writing. What I do not love is the BS that the US education system has become: social promotion, racial divide, and even more so, the lack of TRUE concern for the students. I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference… a real difference. It was not a decision that I entered into lightly. For years, I fought becoming a teacher because having an English degree opened so many more doors than just teaching. However, after working in non-profit I realized that I could make the most difference as a teacher. There is no greater disappointment than knowing that you are not meant to succeed. That is what I am beginning to realize. Teachers are not valued in this society. We are not seen as professionals. We are not considered intelligent. We are not human. We are robots. We are not supposed to have feelings and that means that the Powers-that-Be get to treat us like crap. Repeatedly. I am sad. I am sad because my daughter is going to be the one who suffers in the end. She is going to be told that it is OK to not have dream. She is going to be allowed to slack off in school because, as a judge said, “we need janitors too”. I am angry that I am paying taxes for a public school system that is determined to break any hope of success that my child will have. Yea, I will be strong for her. I will instill real values in her, but how does a parent compete against a society that no longer see education as a valuable asset. I don’t want to be a part of this system, but I don’t want to leave because all the good teachers leave. And if we all leave, are we not allowing the classist system to win. I don’t know what to do.

Tags: Education