No Tennis Shoes for PE

Recently, in a county and a school system not to far from Nashville, a little girl was made stay in her room because she didn’t have tennis shoes for her P.E. class. Our granddaughter attends the same school, and was upset when her classmate told her she didn’t have shoes for PE, and that the flip flops she had on was all she had. Our granddaughter went home and told her mother, who in action called the teacher and learned that the little girl was from a poor family. Our granddaughter sent a new pair of tennis shoes too the little girl.

I’ve been troubled for a long time about the large number of poor children in our school in Tennessee. And to add trouble to trouble is the neglect, and sometimes punishment of students by an uncaring educator. Thank God, there’s only a few of them. Teachers who love children and who have empathy for the poor among her students will not make the statement, “I’m not going to wipe noses and tie shoes.” Honey, it goes with the job, and what you need is a heart transplant.

I’m also bothered about the funds sent to counties for poor children that ends up being spent on employees who spend too much time and money quding about the county attending so-called seminars. I understand some of that are necessary, but we don’t need “pony express riders” in education, but educators who stay put and do whatever they need to do to help the down trodden of their numbers.

So you don’t like what I’ve written, then take it up with your conscience not me. Perhaps, there are a handful of teachers who need to look for another profession. God bless those teachers who are true blue. Your reward will be great.

Here is a true story of an uncaring teacher. It happened at my school several years ago. A poor little girl spilled her lunch. Her misfit teacher made her take a seat and told her she was not going to get another tray. The manager of the cafeteria heard it all and when the teacher sat down at the table the manager walked over to her, picked up her tray, and said to her, “If the little girl doesn’t eat, neither do you.” All is well that ends well. Both the teacher and student ended up eating.

Teachers, be kind to all your students, especially the poor ones.