Making it Up as They Go

The Hollidaysburg, PA school district voted to appeal an arbitrator’s decision. They want to overturn a decision to discipline/fire a teacher who has not broken any rules. The initial process took over a year and over $10,000 and they want to do it again because the decision doesn’t make them happy. This board that was elected on fiscal transparency and responsibility is doing the very opposite. They say this isn’t political or about the teacher’s personal life, but it is very clearly political. How do they plan to cover these costs? If the meeting last night was any indication, board members seem happy to take away funding from the district’s mental health spending. They seem to want to cut funding even though there is a waiting list for students to be seen with a school counselor. Also, keep in mind that we like to blame everything on mental health, which I don’t disagree with, and then cut funding for mental health. My bigger issue is that there was no rule broken by Ms. Stouffer. She simply had a book on her desk to read during breaks as part of a Pennsylvania State continuing education course for teachers. This book was not being taught or part of any curriculum. We are amid a national teacher shortage and we want to discipline a teacher that didn’t break any rules. The book just bothered someone. It was brought up at the meeting that this book could be triggering for survivors of sexual abuse. Survivors of sexual abuse have many triggers. As statistics show, women and members of the LBGTQ+ community have the highest rates of sexual abuse. I am also a sexual abuse survivor that started being abused at the age of 5 and continued into my young adult years, I know a lot about triggers. Therapy and books are great tools to help you face triggers without being triggered. It was also said that this book was being read because it makes people comfortable. This book is not to make anyone feel comfortable, but for those that are questioning and need to feel seen and be able to get different perspectives. Teens have very few resources available to them to explore these feelings and so many are living in a household that doesn’t make it safe for them to talk to their parents. It’s crazy to me that people are ok with “Christian” Bibles and books in schools, but no other religions and nothing that could potentially introduce our children to people who aren’t like them. The fact that they don’t see what they want is far more indoctrinating than having books available just amazes me. Would we have this outrage if a teacher had a Bible on their desk? Aside from pornography and foul language, what else do these parents want to restrict teachers from being allowed to have in a classroom? I want my children to learn to respect people who are very different from them and help them understand how to treat them. A parent spoke saying he doesn’t trust the school district. Did he bother to ask if the book was being taught? Did he bother to ask if the teacher was reading the book aloud? These are the same parents who are ok with giving teachers guns but do not trust them to follow a grade-appropriate curriculum. I would love to know how a teacher having a book on their desk can cause harm to any child. Can we stop being angry and wasting money over a book that wasn’t even being taught and focus on educating our kids?!? Ms. Stouffer is not only an amazing teacher with test scores to prove it, but she’s also the coach of the quiz team and helps with the cross-country team. What discipline do you think she deserves for not breaking a rule? These parents are teaching their children that if you don’t like something, complain and try to get someone in trouble. I would rather teach my child that everyone has different beliefs and interests and that is what makes the world a beautiful place. I guess it is hard to think about the world being a beautiful place right now though with so many lack basic human rights and people think they have a right to decide if a group of people should be allowed to live or not.