Why Do We Hate Teachers?
by William E. White
It’s September — that time of year. Cartoonists, comedians, pundits, and critics are out in force running down the teaching profession. We treat the start of school as though forcing children into the classroom condemns their young lives. The critics are indiscriminate: all teachers are lousy; all teachers are ineffective. How can we expect our children to love learning and become productive citizens if we teach them to hate teachers and schools?
We have an unhealthy attitude about education in this country. We treat education like a commodity bought and sold on the futures market, a manufactured product, or a clear process for simple implementation. In fact, education is a responsibility. It is an opportunity in which young people must invest themselves. It is a duty families owe to the development of their children. It is a community obligation to insure the republic has qualified citizens to perpetuate our system of self-government. Education is a responsibility that we, the citizens of this republic, should take up gladly with excitement, enthusiasm, and an eye to the future.
Rafe Esquith is a veteran teacher at the Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los
