An Unspoken Problem

Your+voice+matters

Madison Wadleigh, Reporter

Every student is required to attend school and every student is also given a set of rights while attending school, freedom of speech, a right to express themselves, disability rights, a right to not be discriminated against based on race, culture or national origin, immigrant rights, Lgbtqia+ rights, and pregnancy discrimination. These are some basic rights every student should be guaranteed to have while going to schoolAn unspoken problem that should be talked about more is that some teachers have been providing a negative experience for their students.  This  contradicts basic student rights. While most teachers do respect student rights, most teachers are not all teacher. In a place focused on teaching students in a positive and safe environment, there sure is a lot of negativity and hate. Students have had to deal with teachers being openly racist, transphobic, homophobic, and at times borderline ableist towards them. These comments don’t just affect the student they’re being said to, but it affects everyone around them, and it is unacceptable. Just as much as its important for a teacher to be educated in what they’re teaching, it’s also just as important to understand how to not be offensive. Unfortunately, like many other high schools, Lakes faces this issue. Students should feel safe and should always be treated as an equal here. When students aren’t respected simply because of their differences or another teacher’s beliefs, then that prevents students from feeling safe and accepted at school. Many of these students deal with other difficulties and struggles in their daily lives as it is, whether it be bullying from other students, issues at home, or mental health struggles, the lack of support from teachers doesn’t make their lives any easier. And when teachers are reported for their repeated behaviors or corrected by students, they are brushed off or the teacher chooses to ignore the complaint and doesn’t fix their actions.

I feel that not enough is being done about this issue, because the same teachers continue to make comments even after being corrected by other adults. It feels almost as if the situations are ignored, they are treated as if they are not a big deal. But at the end of the day these teachers represent the image of our school, what is being taught and said within the school will always stick with the student far into the future, and word spreads fast. But of course, not all teachers are negative, there are still a vast number of very supportive, positive and kind teachers here at Lakes who we have been so lucky to have. Those teachers are how all teachers should be and should be role models to the ones who need them, they make school just a little bit easier. If you find yourself facing this issue reach out to a school counselor or any other staff member or a trusted adult that you feel comfortable talking to. This is an issue that is being faced by students across America, and it’s up to us to speak up about it.