A retired educator didn’t hold back in a bold letter addressed to parents. Her words are now gaining widespread attention, with many praising her honesty—especially her final remark, which many say hits the nail on the head. But don’t take our word for it—read it yourself and let us know where you stand.
Lisa Roberson, a former teacher, sparked quite a debate when she shared her personal views about the current atmosphere in public school classrooms.
Here’s what she had to say:
“As someone who spent years in the classroom, I’m frustrated with people trying to fix our education system when they’ve either never stepped foot in a public school or haven’t been inside one in decades.”
She made it clear—teachers are not the problem. The real issue, she claims, lies with the parents. According to Roberson, many parents are failing to teach their children basic manners, respect, or even essential social behavior. Some students show up wearing brand-name shoes worth more than what the teacher is wearing—but come unprepared, lacking even the most basic items like pencils or paper.
So who ends up providing these supplies? More often than not, it’s the teachers—using money from their own wallets.
She didn’t stop there. Roberson pointed to the struggling schools and posed some important questions: Are parents showing up for parent-teacher conferences? Do they keep in regular contact with their children’s educators? Are they making sure their kids have what they need for school? Are they following up to ensure homework is done? Do they even have working phone numbers on file?
Are students paying attention in class? Are they taking notes and completing assignments—or are they the ones disrupting the learning environment?
When you look closely at all these factors, Roberson argued, it becomes clear: it’s not the schools that are failing, it’s the parents. Teachers can’t be expected to do both their job and the parents’. Until families start taking responsibility, nothing is going to change.