Dear Board of Education:

As I was removed from the sub list in 2019 because I insisted on students editing papers they were handing in, (https://www.yahoo.com/news/let-substitute-teacher-because-corrected-110006705.html), and because American education statistics have grown steadily worse, I thought the Iowa Board of Education might have wised up, seen the error of its ways and started supporting teachers.

Nix, apparently not. Now, a teacher not only doesn’t decide what goes on in his/her classroom, he or she can’t even get on the internet in off hours and express an opinion. I am shocked to see that four or five teachers in this state were either terminated or investigated for what they posted online. In one case, over 100 people contacted a principal.

Iowans used to look to teachers and other educated individuals in their communities for intellectual guidance. Now, they go online and find somebody who agrees with them without understanding the rationale behind a position. This is destroying democracy: we need to consider all opinions and no one should lose their job for having expressed an opinion anywhere.

It is shocking that principals, superintendents and education officials can’t see or stop the widespread harm accruing from their lack of support for teachers.