Teachers and Librarians Are Being Vilified for Doing Their Jobs
Stand With Teachers and Librarians
What does it mean?
Public school teachers and librarians face multiple threats. The rise in the number of school shootings puts lives at risk; the assaults by misnamed "parental rights" groups challenge their professionalism and undermine their ability to do their jobs. During the 2022-2023 school year, 3,362 books were removed from school libraries, a 33% increase over the previous school year. Those removed titles included a large number of award-winning works. Books referencing LGBTQ+ people and those focused on America's history of slavery were special targets. Teachers and librarians are being vilified--- some are being fired-for simply doing their jobs: providing access to books and accurate information.
​
Why Does It Matter?
Teachers and librarians are professionals; they should not live in fear that they will be fired or otherwise targeted for doing their jobs. They also should not live in fear that students will bring weapons into the classroom, or that deranged, armed outsiders will stage an assault on those classrooms. They should be supported, not demonized by parents and elected officials.
Politicians, like Jim Banks, who pander to voters that want educators to deny history and vilify diversity should be replaced by people like Marc Carmichael, someone who is committed to standing with our educators and librarians.
​
​
​