The pandemic completely exposed the American public education system as not broken but functioning perfectly to continue the growth of poverty in lower and middle class based communities.

A system that continues to label and target our students by race, class, and socioeconomic status is a reflection of how powerful knowledge of the system is.

It’s not just teachers who believe in teaching critical race facts or factual history being targeted and punished. Educators of color who are in leadership are also being targeted as school systems seek to shift blame to educators for attendance discrepancies.

I once said, “The way we treat teachers of color in public education sets the stage for how we’re treated in society!”

As the world is returning to a sense of normalcy and regular routine, many are refusing to go back to systems that simply didn’t work. Things such as policies in public schools that police teachers and students more than keeping them safe.

Academics and attendance irregularities during the pandemic was no stranger to just about any school across the country. However, there are some school boards that are punishing educators for discrepancies in student attendance during the pandemic. 

I believe that attendance issues in public schools happen for many reasons: strict policies in public schools, lack of consideration for transportation, technology gaps, and reporting issues. Also, students who come to school late and who leave early (before noon) all impact attendance. Additionally, we know public schools struggled with virtual learning attendance because of many issues with connectivity and log in access.

The school system should not be punishing educators for attendance discrepancies during the last two years of the pandemic. This is only creating more fear within the field causing more educators to leave and less wanting to enter.