Panic and fear are not what we should be teaching inside our schools. Karen is working overtime. Karen is having a meltdown of epic proportions over the opening of public schools this fall. Karen is convinced she is going to die as are all of the school kids. Karen is twisted because she has to return to a school filled with children. Karen has spent the summer going on vacations, protesting on the streets, shopping at Wal-Mart and Kroger’s, eating take out food, and all kinds of other things involving complete strangers inside enclosed spaces. Karen may have ridden on public transportation. Karen is convinced the school children will kill her. Does Karen know there have been children inside Wal-Mart at the same time as she has been there? A few of them might even have sneezed on the food she took home. Does Karen know that the hotel room she stayed at while on vacation probably has not washed the bedspread in months? Karen has expected the minimum wage retail and service industry workers to ensure she has food and other necessities. Karen has been quite busy. None-the-less, her job is entirely different. Karen does not feel she should be asked as a government/state employee to work under these conditions. Apparently, that’s only for minimum wage employees and completely beneath her. Yes, I said it. It’s what many parents are thinking.
I understand that kids are little germ factories. Everyone who works with, around or has children knows this. But Karen, do you know that during cold and flu season the average retail worker in a big box or high volume store comes into more contact with germs than you ever will inside your classroom? Do you know how many germs first responders come into contact with daily? They enter people’s homes. Karen, do you understand that food service employees wash off people’s saliva from the dishes? Karen, you are earning more money than most of these essential employees and you have benefits and retirement. You have health insurance while many of these other people do not.
If you are a scared and panicked Karen, you have NO BUSINESS around anyone’s child. Fear and panic spread faster than any virus. Fear and panic cause irrational behavior and poor decisions. Fear and panic cause angry outbursts and fights. Karen, you do not belong inside any public school. Not now. Not ever. It only takes one or two Karens to spread fear and panic to everyone else including our children.
Most school employees are not Karen’s. Thank goodness. Most school employees are trying to make good, usable, workable decisions in order to keep themselves and their students safe. Most teachers are teaching because they care about our kids and want them to be healthy, safe, and do well in life. Yes, kids are little germ incubators. Yes, we do need to be as safe and sensible as possible.
To all of you working inside a school this fall who is not a Karen, good luck because you are going to need it. I for one appreciate all of you. Except Karen. I really don’t appreciate Karen at all.
Middle of the Muddy Road 