Parents, Stop Cussing Your Child’s Teachers Out

That’s just wrong!

There used to be a time when teachers, principals, and other school employees were treated with the highest level of respect. Parents and the community honored them and held them in high esteem because of the powerful influence they had on the lives of children and young people.

Things are different in the Twenty-First Century.

It has become common place for students from kindergarten on to physically attack educators by kicking, punching, stomping, scratching, head-butting, and hitting them in some schools. Educators have become increasingly vocal about being victimized by the students they educate.

In response, teachers, school administrators, and district wide policy makers have increased the training of staff members both as a reactive and proactive measure. This has been done to help them response to or diffuse explosive student incidents. Many professionals associate the violent behavior of students to their unmet behavior and mental health needs. So, a critical push has been established for increased site based behavior and mental health services to be provided for students as a part of their educational program at school.

(Despite the thrust for services and supports for students at school, I have been extremely outspoken about my belief that some of the student behaviors are connected to poor parenting along with the failure of school districts to place a demand on parents to help solve this serious problem.)

There is yet another issue that few educators are empowered to used their unified voices to publicly address. There are far too many incidents of teachers and other school officials being verbally abused and assaulted by parents and other family members.

It is wrong for any adult to express their dissatisfaction with any component of their child’s education by disrespecting any professional member of any school community by hurling verbal insults at them.

It is absolutely unacceptable for any parent, older sibling, or any other family member to yell profanities at any educator in person, on the telephone, or in any written correspondence.

It is incomprehensible for any parent to use lewd and disgusting language when they interact with any educator when they have a disagreement with them.

It is terrible when a parent feels empowered enough to yell so loudly at teachers and school administrators that it disrupts the learning environment within the school and creates fear among students and other school employees.

These horrible parental behaviors must be stopped because it exposes educators to

trauma, fear, and helplessness.

What Must Be Done When Parents Behave The Wrong Way

Here is a

radical solution

to address this

radical problem

that is pervasive in some schools.

School district must develop a Code of Conduct for parents to adhere to during interactions with all school personnel including but not limited to teachers, principals, and the secretary. Local law enforcement should support school staff when parents violate the district wide expectation to continuously treat all of the professionals with respect. Warnings, citations, and fines should be imposed against offending parents. Arrests should be made in cases in which the safety of teachers becomes compromised.

Educators deserved to be treated with the highest level of respect.

What are your thoughts about educators being victimized by disrespectful and inappropriate parents?

I invite you to join me by uniting together to create change in this area. Be sure to sign up to be on my email list at [email protected] to receive a periodic copy of my newsletter and specific information about advancing the

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Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired family and consumer sciences teacher, school principal, director of pupil personnel services, assistant to the superintendent for family and community engagement, and professor of multicultural education. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and she is dedicating the rest of her life to serving as a Family Engagement Influencer.