A curious thing has happened in Stamford, Connecticut. The school board has voted 5-3 to make teachers who hate Columbus Day and Veterans Day but were getting paid to sit on their asses – work both days. The school will be open, and regular classes will commence.
This, of course, creates several problems, with all the other public servants getting paid to do nothing. It hardly seems fair. Making teachers and staff toil over hiding the kiddie porn, telling white children they are racists, and convincing six-year-olds they were born in the wrong body. The devil’s work is exhausting, and it might benefit from a few extra days, but the critical point here is that they were getting paid, and now they have to emit loads of carbon to show up.
I mean, how many then were even celebrating the age of discovery as a catalyst that led to the founding of a nation that ended slavery or the sacrifice of our service members in wars that weren’t for Ukraine? They might as well show up for work.
I know, but, but, but what about all the other details? You can be angry, discouraged, lament the decline of the culture, or just outraged, but if you happen to live in Stamford or anywhere else, this has or might become a thing, it need not be an intractable conflict. Yes, you should vote for different school board members, but while you’re waiting to do that – or if that won’t likely make any difference if you’ve got the Day off already, honor both holidays and keep your kids home.
Teach your kids that there are a lot of things more deserving of our time and honor than what the government did to K-12 education.
Or is that too simple a solution?
