Teachers are so much more than their curriculums. They should be supported, not scrutinized.

Show Caption

Except for one letter, my handwriting and cursive are trash. That’s not the fault of my educators, I simply never mastered the clean look many others did in school. I had other things to learn anyway. I was a sucker for history, science, reading and writing. All the things. School was my refuge from the hard reality of childhood. From all the traumas, one would secure scoring a whopping 9 out of 10 on my Adverse Childhood Experiences score. School and teachers were my guideposts, and I knew education and the classroom were vital to anything that would come in my future. 

This is where current conditions of the world really hurt. Day after day educators, our real life superheroes, are attacked and belittled. Like it’s a job of glorified babysitters that any person could do. And legislators, especially recently, have attacked them and the education system from more sides than we can even count. 

I remember the Kentucky governor blaming them for potential child abuse from exercising their right to strike on behalf of them and their students. Absurd that this actually happened. 

We all remember the 2021-current boogeyman that came following the 2020 “awakening” the oft-conflated critical race theory that was apparently teaching little Johnny that he should be ashamed of himself and his family. 

And we now see legislation like SB 150 in Kentucky and other laws that try to attack teachers and school districts for the audacity to be welcoming and understanding of their students. Outlawing teachers treating kids how they want to be treated – like it’s some golden rule or something. 

Teachers are incredible – and do so much more than they are given credit for

We need to allow them to be who they are and how they are because the majority of them get into the profession because they love kids and love teaching. 

'Kindness and generosity': I walked from D.C. to NYC, and found my faith in America restored along the way

Recently, my second grade teacher’s son contacted me. I had reached out to her in 2011 on Facebook to thank her for what she had done for me. When I was coming up in Madisonville, I had a lot going on. (See: 9 on ACE) and while school was my refuge, it was a hard place to be expected to excel given all I was dealing with. I was often wondering where I would sleep. What, if anything, I’d have to eat and how I’d make it. My second grade teacher figured this out and talked to me. She told me I was smart enough to escape my situation. That I could be a doctor or a lawyer or even the first Black president. Thanks Obama! She also told the lunch ladies and they let me sneak extra food on Friday to have food for the weekend. She made me believe in myself. 

Her son reached out to let me know that my teacher was in her final moments, and that he found the message I had sent her in 2011. She had tried to respond years later, but I no longer had Facebook and it bounced back. She told me she was so proud of me and knew I could make it. The last time I saw her was in Kroger at home, and she asked where I was. I said starting law school in Louisville. As I responded, she hugged me as we both cried in the frozen food section. 

Her son forwarded me her message on LinkedIn and let me know what was going on. I thanked him for the message and his incredible human of a mom. 

Let teachers teach: Students can handle exposure to different world views in school. It's adults who are fragile.

Lately I’ve been questioning my worth. Questioning my purpose. And this message reminded me. It reminded me that whatever life throws at me and whatever shots someone may aim my way, I’m here to fight for more people like me who need that support. Someone in their corner. 

My handwriting and cursive may be bad. But I can make a beautiful L. My teacher’s first name was Linda, and every morning in Daily Oral Language (DOL to the real ones) Mrs. Linda Teague made us practice by writing her name. If you ever see my signature that T looks like an L for a reason. 

As Alzheimer’s slowly takes her memories, I hope she is able to see this. She did so much more than teach me readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic. Further, I hope people think before they mess with an educator's ability to educate. They are doing the Lord’s work and should be supported, not scrutinized. 

And while I have no affiliation, if you can, please support Alzheimer’s research at a place like the Kentucky Southern Indiana Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/kyin/donate

Terrance Sullivan is the former executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. KCHR is the state agency charged with enforcing the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. Terrance is also a member of the Advisory Board for The Courier Journal, where this column first published.