Teachers are the trusted adults in the lives of so many children, what will happen if the laws are making it impossible for that trust to be maintained? Well, state legislators are making it to where that is becoming true. In more and more states these laws are being proposed and it is going to change the whole emotional safety factor in schools. The laws that are being passed are making people worry even more about the educational system. The laws are making it so teachers have to submit the lesson plan for the next year in June and they can’t sway away from it and have to stick to it.
That makes it significantly difficult for the teachers. Some units the students don’t get in that time frame and need extra time to revise it. And it takes 4 days for them to get approval from the district to be able to extend the unit. Except by then the unit’s gone and another has been started. It’ll be all over the place and everyone would be confused. So many students confide in teachers about their home life, mental health, even relationships.
There is a teacher whose name is Tell Williams, mrwilliamsprek on TikTok, has made videos on this issue. He is a gay teacher who has made statements and fought agaisnt this issue; calling for other teachers to come out and have their voices heard. He has stated in one of his videos “that teachers aren’t using their platforms to have their voices heard.” These changes that are slowly coming into reality are getting more and more scary for our future. How have we progressed so much in society, just for the school systems to take a massive step backwards?
He has talked about how in the state of Indiana there’s a bill being passed where you can’t talk about anything personal. That includes bullying or if there is any form of abuse happening in homes. And if that’s not enough for you, if a student comes out as part of the LGBTQ+ community, the teacher is legally required to out them to their parents/legal guardians. That is a whole other level of dangerous. One, the family could harm the student either physically or mentally.
Two, the student could not be ready to come out to the family and it’ll take a mental toll on them. That is a whole other level of trust a student has to have with a teacher to share things like that. Only for that safe place to be ripped from them and make it a toxic environment to be in. We have worked so hard in this day and age to make sure everyone feels safe and accepted. Kids are the number one people we need to do that for. They are the future and if we want them to accept and stand for others. We have to stand for and accept them. They need to feel safe. These are laws that will change what we have built, and ruin the long way we still have to go. Let’s speak up now. We are the voice.