69ý

Opinion
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor

Be Careful About What You Publish

April 16, 2024 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

To the Editor:

I am a retired public school science teacher who taught in a district north of Cincinnati for 32 years. I am a lifetime member of the Ohio Education Association-Retired and the National Education Association-Retired. When I was active in the classroom, I was a full member of the National Science Teaching Association and participated in their conventions.

This is a totally irresponsible opinion piece and made me want to cancel my subscription immediately (“Why Educators Often Have It Wrong About Right-Leaning Parents,” March 4, 2024). As an analytical thinker and science teacher, I wanted you to know why I am shocked by your publication of this anti-public-school trope.

During my career, I was ambushed by activists at “Meet the Teachers” night who wanted to know my views on the Big Bang Theory. Our conservative school board directed all science teachers to write and submit their views on evolution. Life science teachers had to attend a professional development session on how we could read Bible passages while teaching evolution. I was verbally excoriated in the hallway by a parent who believed my teaching about pollution’s impact on health and the environment was scaring kids about chemicals. I have been given books to read that counter mainstream views about environmental issues and copies of texts relating all science to the will of God. A responsible science teacher cannot meet such people in the middle—they are flat out wrong and not calling them out further undermines the public’s faith in the great science being done in our country.

By publishing an opinion piece that argues educators “have it wrong” about right-leaning parents, you gave tacit endorsement to the dissemination of wrong, misleading, and twisted facts in public education. This is dangerous for our society and the mission of public schools in our democracy. Think about this when you wonder why smart young men and women are not lining up to be science teachers.

Marilyn Fowler
Retired Science Teacher
Aurora, Ind.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the April 17, 2024 edition of Education Week as Be Careful About What You Publish

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Families & the Community Opinion The 3 Secrets to Better Parent-Teacher Communication
Teachers and parents rarely receive guidance on how to effectively communicate. Here’s what two experienced educators recommend.
Adam Berger & Don Berger
4 min read
Line drawing of town landscape including a school, a child, and a parent.
Fumiko Inoue/iStock
Families & the Community School Attendance Suffers as Parent Attitudes Shift
Parents are more relaxed about attendance than before the pandemic, district leaders said.
4 min read
One person walking down stairs in motion effect photography inside building.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Families & the Community Parents Call Chronic Absenteeism a Problem, But Most Can't Define It
A new poll sheds light on parents' views on chronic absenteeism and acceptable reasons to miss school.
3 min read
Empty desks within a classroom
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Families & the Community What Happens to the Lost-and-Found Mound at the End of the Year?
Most schools deal with lost-and-found piles as the school year ends. Some work with outside partners to recycle items for students in need.
5 min read
Dark gray laundry basket full of childrens' items with a white sign that reads "Lost Property"
iStock/Getty