Monday, August 29: Back to School
Pray for the teachers, most of them deserve better (Not you Ms. Shephard)
Apologies to my loyal readers for today’s delay, I spent this morning on an Amtrak train that advertised free WiFi connectivity, but fell short on that particular promise.
Our top story today is that the kiddies are going back to school, and the schools are just as unprepared as they were three months ago. In Ohio, the largest school district in the state was forced to hold their first day of school online last week, after 4,500 teachers, librarians, and other school workers went on strike. In Missouri, 25 percent of all districts will be on a four-day schedule this fall. The shortened work week is common in several other states, including New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho and South Dakota, and is considered another way to entice teachers without paying them what they deserve.
Teachers have long argued that they are underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated, particularly as classroom conditions have worsened during the pandemic. Adding on to their stress is the constant threat of violence in schools as well as the absurd protestations of parents who don’t want their children learning about the dark history of this country.
"As more and more teachers retire, we need to have others fill that role and right now, the numbers are not looking good for us. It's heartbreaking to watch."
-Heather Sparks, director of Teacher Education at Oklahoma City University.
This is the logical end result for a society that prioritizes policing and assigning criminality above educating and caring for our children. The teacher shortage should obviously be cause for concern, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Side Items
This Associated Press story highlights the Palestinian death toll that continues to grow as Israel conducts illegal nighttime raids in the West Bank. The IDF has targeted activists and responded to stone throwing with live ammunition. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the most moral army in the world
The US Open begins tonight, with Serena Williams taking the spotlight. This tournament will be her last before retirement, and if anyone deserves to go out on a high note, it’s Serena