I felt compelled to reach out to the world of early childhood warriors after I interacted with a Facebook post this morning from a … frustrated… parent. I can’t say for certain how this parent was feeling of course but the post included the teachers name and the school and essentially it boiled down to this parent not being able to connect with the teacher and crowd-sourcing the scoop on the teacher. My reply? Was as gentle as possible, naturally.

“This is the reason so many educators are FLEEING the field.”

Generally speaking, I don’t tell my mechanic how to fix my car. I’ve never told a physician how to treat anything; sure I’ve made embarrassing sounds to try to explain why I needed the mechanic and I’ve worked with my doctor to find the right treatment plan. I’m just trying to understand why after going to school for four years to learn how to teach and all that it entails, teachers aren’t just trusted to make the right decisions for best practice.

Now this instance was the student complained the teacher was too strict. Don’t laugh. The teacher was too strict (in the first weeks of school) so the mother took to Facebook to crowdsource support for her dislike.

Y’all remember virtual schooling during the pandemic, right? If you’re so confident in your teaching abilities, may I suggest you enroll in the appropriate program to earn your teaching license? I’m saying it to be sassy, but I’m also quite sincere.

“Be a part of the solution, not the problem.”

Brothers on 2nd, Platteville, WI (circa 2005)

We must rally together to raise each other up as educators. Those in the early childhood field know all too well how difficult it is to be viewed as a content expert; let’s find a way to work together for the future of our children. Education as a whole needs to be restructured to better meet the current (and future) needs of our country.

Who are the stakeholders we need at the table for this kind of conversation? And how do we ensure the space is one of mutual respect and focus?