The ridiculous policy had angered parents and the school eventually released a statement clarifying their position on it.
We hear a lot about how much teachers do for their students even though they don't get paid enough for their noble services, and we salute teachers like that. However, there are some other teachers who lack sensitivity when dealing with students and parents. They may have wanted to address parents through their notes to students but the message got lost due to its harshness.
Something like that happened in a school in Mississippi where a teacher sent home a note to parents about their class Christmas Party but the message was not well received. One mother, Takaria Scott, shared the note on Facebook while someone by the username of u/moonpies4everyone shared it on Reddit too. According to FoxNews, the note said, "Dear parents, We are having a Christmas Party on Thursday, December 19, 2019. Your child has elected to bring (insert food item). I need to have the item by Wednesday, December 18, 2019. My philosophy is: they don't bring anything, they don't eat anything."
The teacher goes on to ask parents to confirm if they received the note using the Class Dojo, a classroom communication app, according to 10Daily.
When sharing on Facebook, Takaria said, "Now for these kids to be between 6-7yrs this should not be a philosophy. Kids are kids man. This is definitely not acceptable in my eyes."
Not just Takaria, but other parents were also incensed over the note. Many people called the actions of the teacher wrong and said that for many households this would be a financial burden. They added that the children definitely don't have access to the finances in the household and shouldn't be punished for the parents' actions. However, some people supported the teacher but acknowledged that the message was wrongly phrased.
One person on Reddit said, "I had a teacher like this. She wasn't playing either. Even if there was food left over the kids who didn't bring anything still had to watch and she'll toss everything left over in the garbage. I remember having to ask my mom if I can bring extra because I knew one or two kids that couldn't bring anything. Teacher was a real b**** and even pulled me out of a chair once. I had to be no more than 8."
Since the note was shared on social media, it garnered a lot of attention and the school district responded to it. They assured that no child will be left out from the party even if they were unable to bring refreshments. MPSD superintendent Dr. Amy Carter said, "We want our students to view school as a safe space. Our students should know that the moment they come to school, they are in an environment where they are nurtured by their teacher."
Speaking to Scary Mommy, Takaria said she wasn't satisfied by the response. "I’m not completely satisfied about the [school’s] response because I’m not sure something happened to the teacher. I appreciate everyone who reached out in this matter. I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s child," she said.
References:
https://www.scarymommy.com/teacher-says-no-food-kids-who-dont-bring/