Vox Pop - Says Tase a Teacher fundraiser was disrespectful

Vox Pop

I read The Star News online and skimmed through the February 8th paper over the weekend. I woke up Monday morning wondering if I’d had some wack-a-doodle dream about a headline in the paper. When I got up, the first thing I checked was my laptop--and nope, “Tase a Teacher” was a real headline.

Now maybe I’m out of touch, but I was disturbed by what I read. I admit I’ve never been a good sport about educators duck taped to walls, and there was that one time when an assembly program presenter thought this sixth-grade teacher should volunteer to take a pie in the face. (One of my sixth-grade boys stood up and said he’d do it for me. I will forever appreciate his compassion.) I once refused my superintendent’s request to sit in a dunk tank during the Wo Zha Wa Fall Festival in Wisconsin Dells. In my defense, I do not swim and have a towel handy when my face gets wet in the shower. I would happily have kissed a pig, cuddled a snake, or made pancakes on the roof of the school as an incentive for students. What I would not do is something I would have found disrespectful to one of my teachers when I was in school.

We live in a time when many teachers are leaving and less individuals are pursuing the profession. When compared to other careers with similar educational requirements, compensation is less. Expectations increase as time to fulfill those expectations decreases. Disrespect for the profession, dealing with student behavior/ bullying, a lack of support, and increasing examples of violence are significant reasons that should not be dismissed.

It’s difficult for me to comprehend why a school police liaison officer would suggest tasing a teacher during a Spirit Week assembly as a way to support a distinguished organization such as the VFW. It concerns me when a school superintendent and principals approve such an idea for implementation by student leaders. Yes, the educators willing to volunteer were “trained” to be tased. Yes, the VFW is a worthy cause. No, this was not a sound idea. Guns are weapons intended for hunting, sport and, sadly, for personal protection or for law enforcement as a last-ditch effort. Tasers are also weapons—tools for a specific purpose and not toys used for amusement.

This fundraiser was both poorly thought out and disrespectful in a time when support for mental health, a reduction of bullying and tolerance for others should be a priority. Encouraging students to support worthy causes is commendable. This particular example was not.

— Maureen Hauswald, Ed.D, Friendship