A teacher I know and admire recently sent an article to me in the hopes I could find a platform on which to publish their words. They could not publish it publicly due to potential repercussions, but they felt what they had written needed to be read.

I completely agree.

Take a moment to read their words:

I am a teacher. A teacher. To say I am alarmed and horrified at the new policies and government officials in office now, would be an understatement. I have never been an activist. I am now. I have always taught the facts- and I will continue to do so. I have always taught the students how the EPA cleaned up American air, soil and water- with the cooperation of the people. I have taught what global climate change is and how we can help slow down the process. I have taught science- critical thinking- questioning- fact finding and research. I will continue to do so.

I am typically a very positive person. But I got rocked to my core in the last few weeks. I didn’t want to believe that our new government could act so Anti-American--would not care about the environment or education or fellow humans. I tried to hope for the best and give the new government a chance. I always look for the silver lining--and for me, the silver lining is my new knowledge in how government works. How I can be effective and support those around me? Making enemies and direct confrontation are not goals in my life--in fact, I try to avoid at all costs, especially because my job requires me to be neutral.

As a teacher I would like to share a few stories about real conversations that have happened in my room recently:

I had a student come in to my room with a big grin on his face as he said, “Are we learning real facts today or alternative facts?”

Earlier this year in a discussion about tornadoes, a student asked if there was a way to stop a tornado once it headed our way. Another student quickly said, “Let’s build a wall and make the tornado pay for it!”

And yet another student, a new immigrant from another country, was overheard telling a friend that he was worried that he would be shipped back to his native country soon. Real conversations, real kids, real problems!

A student asked how I voted. I said that I voted for women’s rights, education for all students and the environment. He quipped- “well then you must be a Democrat.” Where did we go so wrong that we are one side against the other? Basic fundamentals--a clean environment, human rights, education--should be a given in the United States of America. 12 and 13 year olds know it… adults should, too.