Aug 27 2008
My letter to the editor
Usually, I'd write a letter to the editor. But it's my local, small town paper. If they run my comments, people will think what's printed is my official opinion as a charter school board member, and not as a parent in the community. It's happened before. I expressed my opinion about the school district on my personal blog, was outed on a local website's forum, and drew much criticism. (Some people think that I can't have a personal opinion about anything because I'm in a "position of power." Tell that to Mr. Bush and the politicians in Washington.) Some of the comments were incredibly mean and hateful which was a bit scary considering that those people live in my neighborhood.
But it really ticks me off when reporters write about "parents who work for a living." The story was about parents' reaction to the school district's eight late start days for teacher training. Parents with inflexible work schedules complained to them and the newspaper.
Many parents have flex time, but some will get fired for coming in late no matter what the cause. Some parents work for money, and some work at raising their kids, taking care of a sick relative, or volunteer in their community. Most parents fit into several of these circumstances, and few of us have a choice in the matter.
So Ms. Reporter, whether you work full or part-time, in or outside the home, for money or no pay -- ALL PARENTS WORK FOR A LIVING.
