A Teacher Begs Parents To Send Their Kids To School Consistently

In some vital ways, the kids are not all right. Since the pandemic, test scores have been dropping, and students are behind on everything from math to reading comprehension. Kids are struggling academically and teachers are struggling right beside them as they deal with issues like politics in the classroom, low pay, and lack of resources.

In other words: education is a struggle right now. One third grade teacher, who shares content as @salami4prez on TikTok, posted a simple video saying that things would improve if parents just consistently sent their kids to school. You know, to learn.

In response, she got a landslide of comments from parents pushing back on the idea that they needed to get their kids to school more than 75% of the time.

Salma posted a response video.

“The fact that a teacher came on this app practically begging parents to bring their kids to school is crazy, but what was crazier was when I opened the comments,” she said in her follow-up. “I just saw all of these parents defending this foolish behavior: ‘If my child needs a mental health day, they’re going to stay home from school.’ Okay I get that every once in a while, but your kid doesn’t get a mental health day every single week. That’s the kind of attendance we’re working with.”

She also stressed that having kids in school doesn’t affect her paycheck or profits.

“And other parents think we just want their kids at school because we get paid more,” she continued. “Honey, our salary is fixed. We make pennies regardless of if your kids come to school or not.”

The bottom line? She cares about the kids in her classroom and wants to see them learn and succeed.

“We just want to teach your children. I’m sorry, but we just want to teach,” she concluded.

Down in the comments, many parents were supportive with Salma and her plea to get kids in the school doors every morning.

“I think this new trend of parents trying to make sure their kids are never uncomfortable and never pushed to do hard things in life will be the downfall of society,” reads the most popular comment.

“I WISH I COULD PIN THIS COMMENT,” the teacher responded.

“People think parenting is making your kids lives easy…. It should be teaching your kids how to manage hard situations,” another agreed.

Another person stressed that if your kid needs one mental health day a week, you need to take action.

“If your kid needs a mental health day every week then you need to find them a counselor because something else is going on in their life that they may need help with,” they said.

Still, some parents pushed back that kids are really struggling right now.

“I HATE how much school my kid misses because of his mental health. [I]t's a constant battle and a real balancing act — have to really push sometimes and not others, and it's not easy for parents whose kids struggle,” one mom wrote.

“I’m not a parent yet however I do know that the way American schools function is not healthy for the child’s wellbeing,” another wrote. “It doesn’t breed creativity, empathy, critical thinking. It isn’t the teacher’s fault at all it’s the system. The whole system needs to be changed.”

“The school system isn't working either kids are suffering,” another said.

But a therapist had a great response to these comments.

“From a therapist: teaching your kids avoidance as a major coping skill isn’t helpful in the long run when the stakes are higher in adulthood,” she wrote. “A mental health day can be a Saturday or Sunday. Self care, emotional regulation, coping strategies need to be honed in on for those Monday-Friday class/work days.”

There are valid points in most of the above. Parents need to realize the importance of school as well as the importance of teaching your kids coping skills, resilience, and the importance of showing up. On the other hand, we need to take a closer look at school systems, kids’ mental health, and teacher support in order to improve what’s going on in our schools today.