I have written about my experiences substituting in my local schools. I never include personally identifiable information. This past week I have received several anonymous comments from "parents." One of these parents complained to the superintendent and to the local police about my post last Wednesday. In an email to the superintendent, copied to me, the parent complained that I used profanity and wrote about personal issues about the students.
I thought that one of the perks of being retired was that I could speak my mind. I don't represent the school district. When you work for a public agency, and I know that many of my readers do, it is difficult to be viewed as a private citizen. For the past twenty years I resisted writing letters to the editor of our local paper. I didn't speak out on immigration reform, or abortion, or even publicly voice my support for candidates. I know I had the right to exercise my first amendment rights, but in a small town it was easier to stay silent. I sometimes felt like the lone ranger. I am a liberal and that's almost a dirty word in the conservative region where I live.
Today I received yet another email from anonymous complaining that her child was reading my blog. It was the WTF: Wednesday post about the dollar bill. You can read it here. That was the post that got all the nasty comments from a student stalker. Read about that here.
Here's the latest email:
I understand you are one of my daughter's sub teachers. As a teacher myself, I am mortified that I came into my room, where our computer is, to find my daughter reading your blog. I don't know who you think you are, but as a "role model", retired or not, this is completely inapproiate for ANY child to see, let alone thinking it's ok, and funny to act like this. Shame on you!! I will be calling the school concerning your blog.
The superintendent is going to get tired of receiving complaints.
In the blogosphere I have found other like minded writers. I've also found readers who don't share my views, but are accepting of differences and open to rational discussion.
The superintendent is going to get tired of receiving complaints.
So to those anonymous readers out there...get a grip! I am not encouraging your children to read my blog. To find my blog, you only have to google me. It's probably the first link that shows up.
Yes, I occasionally use profanity on my blog. What I write and say in my personal life has no relationship to my occasional work in local school districts. To find my blog on the Internet you have to actually search for it. Children who are using the Internet unsupervised are not my responsibility...based on the language I've heard them use in school, they have heard these words before, but the bottom line is that I don't seek underage readers. They would not be interested in the topic of the life of a recently retired person!
Like most writers, I write about my life experiences. I never considered identifying the students who shared, without being asked, their experience with self-mutilation. I never intended to reveal personally identifiable information about any of them, and I have not done so. Public employees are entitled to a personal life and my blog reflects my personal life, the events and experiences that I find interesting. I do not give up the right to express a personal opinion on a public forum just because I occasionally work for a public agency.
Should teachers only be writing happy stories of children collecting canned goods for the poor or creating amazing science projects? Yeah, that stuff happens, but it ain't all sweetness and light. Remember my post about the student who was stalking my blog? Read it here and that post has the most profanity that has ever been in my blog and it's the student's comments!
Well dear readers...tell me where I should go from here?
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