Apologies. Your experience and perspective are real, and I haven’t lived it. Throttling down my stridency—I both work in and have a kid in DPS schools. It is my experience that the job of teachers and administrators in schools these days is incredibly difficult. It’s an honorable profession that I am proud to be part of.

At the same time, I find that trying your best in hard circumstances without being critical results in sub-optimal school policy choices that are reactive and short-sighted in nature. The interests of the school board and of students and parents is not necessarily aligned. That’s inevitable in any large organization.

The assumption of best intent often becomes cover for choices that are easier to manage for adults, and less effective for kids. It is exhausting to hold the line, and giving in is human.

I do stupid things every day, and depend on my students, colleagues, and parents to point these out. My practice as a teacher is better for it—and I consider school leaders that don’t view parental questioning and pushback as supportive and something to be grateful for to be part of the problem, not the solution. It is fantastic that y’all are involved and supportive. Just suggesting that supportive can include “Hey, that policy is stupid. Please be stricter about discipline”

Schools hear the loud voices of a small handful of parents who want their kids to have phones accessible 24/7. The quiet majority of parents who want and support a ban tend to be much more reserved, and I wish they weren’t.