Letter: Support educators, not unnecessary laws

As Executive Director and spokesperson for Parents Supporting Education-Jasper, I am upholding our mission which is to support public educators by amplifying the voices of our local public school families, teachers, and staff. We advocate for the future of public education in the Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools.

We have been clear about our mission from the start. In this role and as a parent, I FULLY SUPPORT AND TRUST our educators, librarians, school staff, and administrators to choose the materials they use to teach. I have never had concerns about what materials are used to teach my children. GJCS has high-quality educators and excellent administration. They have our students’ best interests in mind.

If I was ever concerned about a teaching material, I would respectfully engage with my child’s teacher. I do not need a law to help me parent, and our educators do not need a law to help them teach.

I do not support any bill that strips educators of their rights nor criminalizes their teaching. I do NOT believe in telling teachers what to teach or what not to teach. My specific concerns with such a bill aside from the above and obvious are that the vague language about what is harmful opens every book, teaching material up to severe scrutiny and censorship.

AGAIN I do not believe that any of our educators, librarians, staff are allowing our students to access anything that is harmful or inappropriate in the GJCS schools. WE AT PARENTS SUPPORTING EDUCATION-JASPER TRUST OUR EDUCATORS. 

Here is a link to the petition.

Emily Klein, Jasper