Secretary Ryan Walters posted this when so many districts across the state had to shut down because they didn’t have enough staff to cover the kids and keep them safe. Can we know that students do better with face to face learning, and also know that if we don’t have subs or staff to keep them safe then we can’t possibly stay open? Non educators all over Oklahoma were quick to point fingers, “Teachers are lazy,” they said. “Teachers want to stay home and get paid to do nothing.” “I don’t have childcare.” “I need school to be open, so the teachers can babysit my kids, so I can go to work.”
As an Instructional Coach, and current teacher, I have held sobbing teachers. I have run to relieve a teacher, so she could go to the bathroom or have a bite to eat or call a parent or grade a paper or make a lesson. These teachers are the hardest working humans I know. They go home absolutely worn to the bone. They get sick easier because of how thinly stretched they are. They believe in the public school mission; they know this is their calling; they show up for kids through it all.
Then, society calls them lazy or berates the districts for making the hardest call.
Here is my plan: Every congressman/woman. Every senator, governor, police officer, fireman. Every college educated person in the state of Oklahoma should be required…REQUIRED to give FIVE days subbing at a public school. When you are summoned, you go. Think jury duty, but for our teachers, and kids. You can’t get out of it. Five days a school year. Your job would be held for you, and schools would have subs, and DAMNIT, society would know how hard this job is, and society would uplift our teachers, give them supplies, a raise, and cases of wine to get through the school year.
So, get off Twitter, and go write legislation for THAT! Sign up to sub. Come and get you some!
To my teachers. I see you. Teach on, warriors. We need you.
Katie
#KatieKinderfromOKC #TeacherTwitter #UntoldTeachingTruths #RelatethenEducate #tlap #Kidsdeserveit #oklaed #oklaleg
Katie Kinder 