No one really likes criticism. It’s human nature to gravitate towards those that praise us and shy away from those that decry us. Besides, it’s unhealthy to constantly hear negativity and criticism. But while we would love to have everyone think we are doing a fantastic job, not everyone does. And for every job, there are critics who believe they know how it can be done better.

Want to work in restaurants or fast food? Be ready for complaints of service being too slow or the order being wrong. Is retail sales more your thing? Customers will gladly tell you there aren’t enough cashiers working or that an item isn’t discounted correctly. Have a desire to serve in law enforcement, health care, or fire protection? Expect that no matter how much you give of yourself or how diligent you are, there will be those that fault you for their loss.

Educators are not immune from criticism either. Teachers get blamed for failing grades, bullying, student attendance and head lice. Principals are at fault if the buses are late, a toilet overflows, state test scores aren’t high enough and hurtful text messages between students. Some things we can do as educators to mitigate problems, but some things are beyond our control. Regardless if warranted, educators can expect to be criticized to some degree.

In politics, criticism and disagreement are part of the job description. Winning an election does not mean everyone agrees with you or even likes you. It may be that you were the best candidate, or the best funded, or the most well-known, or simply no one else wanted the job. But elected officials have tacit knowledge that they have detractors and have to accept that criticism comes with the job.

Again, no one likes to be criticized. But it’s important to listen to the criticism to see if there is truth to it and, if so, work to improve those shortcomings. The worst thing to do is lash out at critics or try to use a position of authority or responsibility to silence or minimize those that disagree. This is a bullying tactic of the worst kind, used historically as a means to oppress voices that the powerful do not want to hear.

Over the past couple of legislative sessions, bills were introduced in the Mississippi House and Senate that would effectively curtail educators from being vocal. This was a result of efforts by educators to pass Initiative 42, which would have made the Legislature fulfill its promise to adequately fund public schools. With threats of $10,000 fines and loss of educator licenses, the message being sent to educators was clear: sit down, be quiet, or we are coming for you.

Public outcry caused these bills to die in committee. However, in a last minute budget maneuver the Legislature took a swipe at silencing one of its biggest critics, the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, by threatening the education funding of districts that are members of this association. Legislative leaders had warned of consequences in the aftermath of the failed initiative campaign and this action was making good on that threat.

But even though MASS was singled out in law, other professional groups have been warned. A director of one teacher organization was warned about being seen in the halls of the capital with “certain people” and another school organization was warned by state leaders about allowing opposing legislators speak at its meetings. So these organizations are faced with the choice of either quieting down or becoming a pariah.

Now, with the continuous pressures of testing and accountability, shifting standards and requirements, tighter budgets and resources, voices that speak for educators are needed now more than ever. But with support for public education on the state level being at an all-time low, will such voices of dissent be muzzled into silence?

 

Shannon Eubanks is the principal of Enterprise Attendance Center.