How quickly we seem to forget how much we love our teachers.
Don’t get me wrong. We do love them, especially during those teacher-centric times like back-to-school season, Teacher Appreciation Week, and when they go above and beyond for our kids. But as soon as conflict arises, we seem to forget.
Your kid gets bullied? The teacher’s not paying enough attention.
Something in an IEP plan gets missed? Seriously? You have one job.
Bad testing scores? I knew having a first-year teacher was a mistake.
Time after time, it’s the teacher’s fault. They’re somehow the scapegoats and the saviors, blamed for the nation’s failures but also expected to rescue them from it.
Just last week, someone on my Facebook page wrote, “The school system needs to do better because my 14-year-old thinks gingivitis is what gives people red hair. What are they even teaching in schools these days?”
I see this kind of stuff all the time and not just online where people are hiding behind their keyboards. It feels like teachers have become the go-to target for all the things. And you know what? It needs to stop.
I am not a teacher, but I have endless educators in my life who go to great lengths to serve our young people. We have to do better.
Why does the buck stop at the teacher’s desk?
Now is the time for me to whip out a “Well, back in my day …” story about how we used to give teachers a lot more authority, trust, and, frankly, respect. But this isn’t really about what I think. How do teachers feel about the cultural attitude toward them?
Sadly, the survey results aren’t great. A 2024 poll found 73% of K-12 teachers believe public perceptions have worsened over the past decade. This isn’t just about teacher pay or workloads, both of which have dismal outlooks, but it’s about the respect, or lack thereof, that we give teachers.
“The buck stops here” is the famous phrase from a sign on President Harry S. Truman’s White House desk, meant to take a stand about accepting responsibility and taking action. Unfortunately for teachers, I feel like the buck stops at their desks. Parents, students, administrators, school districts, and the system as a whole are using teachers as a scapegoat.
Who should be taking accountability?
We should.
We—the communities who pay taxes, who vote, who lead—are setting teachers up for failure. Between unrealistic curriculum demands, endless paperwork, and multiple IEPs teachers don’t have time to implement, we have to be honest. There truly aren’t enough hours in the day.
Teachers are trying to speak up. This recent survey found that 77% of teachers say their jobs are frequently stressful and 68% find them overwhelming. They cite issues like understaffing, student behavior, and even political pressures as areas of concern.
These numbers are alarming. Think about this for a moment. Sure, stress is part of life—and most jobs—but if you were overwhelmed most of the time at work, wouldn’t that be a sign that something needs to change?
We need to take care of teachers, listen to their concerns, and support their needs. If we don’t, 10 years down the road is going to be a scary time. Just like my job where my supervisor and company are responsible (to an extent) for creating a decent work environment, we owe that and so much more to teachers. It’s clear their work environments aren’t sufficient. Administrators, districts, and school systems need to help.
How can we give teachers more support, and what can you do?
As easy as it is to find and cite all the things wrong with the way we treat teachers, I tend to be a hopeful optimist. No matter how bad things are, we can still work toward impactful change and meaningful improvements. Teachers deserve more support. Here’s what we can do:
We can believe them.
From what I’m seeing, teachers are essentially waving the white flag. They are surrendering and telling us they are overwhelmed and overworked. We can’t just keep nodding our heads and pretend like someone or something magical is going to change. Let’s start by believing them and actually doing something about it.
We can defend them.
The next time we hear someone complain about their child’s teacher or talk about how much more teachers should be doing, give a kind counterargument instead of piling on.
We can give them the benefit of the doubt.
It’s so easy to jump to your own child’s defense or assume the worst when you’re getting the story through hearsay, but before we go to a teacher to complain or whip out our inner Mama Bear, let’s pause and hear their side.
We can show a little patience.
We are living in a right-now world, and when you’re waiting to hear from a teacher on an issue, a few hours (or gasp, a day!) can feel like an eternity. Let’s remember they likely have many other students and challenges to juggle.
We can support policies that support them.
A lot of us want to avoid politics these days, but we can still be responsible, informed people who understand how certain issues can impact our teachers. This starts at a local level, and it matters nationally too. You really can support teachers just by being informed.
We can help advocate for better working conditions.
The surveys I cited earlier really are a cry for help. These teachers need us to care. They aren’t just looking for an easy out or an increase in pay (although we owe them that too). They’re asking for better working conditions for their overall well-being. We can speak up in support of giving them a working environment they deserve.
We can hold our kids accountable.
Ask any teacher you know what the biggest issue is with schools these days, and I guarantee you that “parents” will consistently be a top answer. Parents’ over-the-top demands and expectations are trickling down to students, making teachers’ jobs even harder. We have to hold students a lot more accountable and stop pushing the blame on teachers.
We can say thank you—and mean it—a lot more often.
Those extra back-to-school supplies and holiday gift cards are nice. But nothing beats genuine support and finding ways to show that you’re thankful.
At the end of the day, teachers aren’t asking for perfection or praise—they’re asking for partnership. If we want schools to thrive, it starts with how we treat the people at the heart of them. Let’s stop blaming teachers and start backing them up.