19 Comments
Sep 2, 2023Liked by Will Leitch

Phenomenal piece this week Will. You summed up this issue so well and added quite a bit of perspective. Teachers definitely seem to be on their heels and with good reason. Across the country their profession is under fire and completely under funded. My state (AZ) is ranked higher than 45th in education spending -- not ranked in a good way either.

Definitely agree with @Rick Dandes, you should read Will's books! They are amazing. 👍

And S.A. Crosby is now on my TBR list. 👍

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Sep 2, 2023Liked by Will Leitch

Amen

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Well said.

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This whole piece is phenomenal, but this part in particular got me: "That fundamental decision by people, as they get older, to decide they have done all the learning they are going to do—that the world must freeze exactly at the moment that they understood it to the best of their capabilities, and they will go no further."

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Thanks. One of the biggest surprises of getting older is discovering how many people choose this path.

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100% agree. This very much could be the root cause of this issue.

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came here to say exactly this.

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Fantastic piece. You’re not mistaken when you catch exhaustion and trepidation on your sons’ teachers’ faces. I have no doubt it’s there because it’s even here in a state and community where all of those St. Charles “evils” merit celebration rather than firings.

I just did ninety minutes of online training about bullying, suicide prevention, and hazardous materials this Saturday morning. Claiming schools aren’t motivated by the best interest of kids is never an argument in good faith.

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Thank you for this. I'm so impressed with how they've been able to keep it all together.

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Yeah that DeSantis is a real piece of work. I remember him pushing to pass legislation that prohibited teachers from teaching fact-based history if it "made white students uncomfortable."

I remember actually yelling at my tv THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO YA FRIGGIN DUMBASS!

Great take today on this subject. 👍

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Thanks! I was pretty inspired from seeing the middle school this week.

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Well said, sir! And Go Dawgs!

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Heading out to the tailgate now!

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Trying to find the silver lining in all of this. The fact that my mother, a public high school English teacher for 30 years is not alive to see this outrageous upheaval in her coveted profession is a plus I suppose.

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That's a pretty sad silver lining ... but I do get it.

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As always, intereting .... BTW. loved your latesgtg book.

Anyone reading the WL Newsletter for the first time. Buy both his latest books.

Oh, and Will, thanks for turning me on to S.A. Crosby.

Here in PSU country, when I walk around proudly in my National Championship T-Shirt all I hear about UGa is how absurd a match up today is... of course, no mention that Oklahoma was originally scheduled, but SEC mandated a change.

Be interesting, th\ough, to see how the new QB does.

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Thanks! He's a helluva writer, no?

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My high school freshman's English teacher sent a note to parents about her plans for having our kids read "To Kill a Mockingbird." My eyes rolled out of my head when I got to the part about how I could opt him out of reading it. I wrote back to her and said I'd really love to know how many parents opt their kids out of reading "To Kill a Mockingbird." She said they provide that option for all books now.

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Oh man. This did not make me feel better.

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