Children Do Not Come to School with D's and R's on Their Foreheads

Back in the 90's when I began as Genesee's Superintendent, I had the opportunity to attend a summer meeting of all of Idaho's superintendents and I heard then State Superintendent of Public Education Jerry Evans, a Republican, give a speech. I do not remember all of what he said but one point I have always remembered and admired was his statement that "children do not come to school with D's and R's on their foreheads."

This morning while I was riding my bike up the Genesee-Troy road, I kept thinking about this statement and how well it relates to the firestorm that has been whipped up by some of the radio talk show hosts regarding the President's speech to school children which is set to be broadcast next Tuesday. Jerry Evans had it right. Students don't come to school with a political affiliation stamped on their heads. Neither do educators.

Teachers are licensed, professional educators with significant, required training who must follow the Idaho Code of Ethics for Teachers. I am sure many of them affiliate with one political party or the other, but I couldn't tell you which party. And it doesn't matter. Their job is not to indoctrinate children. Their job is to educate children.

Genesee teachers are the cream of the crop. They are experts in pedagogy (methods of teaching) and they are experts in the subjects they are responsible for teaching. They follow district-approved curriculum. They determine what is age-appropriate, how best to utilize resources, what fits within the curriculum and how to structure instructional time to enable all students to achieve.

Does this mean we get it right every time? No. Nobody is perfect. Teachers, like Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants are human beings. But you can rest assured your children are in good hands and the education they receive is responsible and appropriate. We teach about politics but we aren't in the business of turning R's into D's or D's into R's. We'll leave that to someone else.