You know, my wife is a teacher. A good teacher. When I hear stories about how some parents treat teachers, it just DISGUSTS me.

People who want to take no responsibility, and don’t make their children take any responsibility, are unbelievable!!

Parents who want to be jerks and bully teachers around because they’re unhappy with their child’s grade are pathetic.

Most teachers work hard, long hours, dedicating themselves to helping kids despite frequent cutbacks and ridiculous demands. Most parents work hard, and understand that everything, EVERYTHING, is a work in progress. It’s the small percentage of parents who refuse to behave as rational, thinking human beings who drive good people out of a profession that is VITAL to the future of our children, our society.

I’m a parent, and the idea that my kid is not perfect, or would be anything less than the ideal student/citizen is, of course, upsetting to me. But if any situation arises where I must deal with a teacher/authority figure because of something my child is doing, I certainly hopt to God that I will be able to conduct myself with the grace and dignity that I try and carry through the rest of my life.

Perhaps that’s the trouble. Perhaps these people don’t conduct themselves with grace and dignity to begin with. Perhaps their whole sad, sad lives are based on blame and passing the buck. That may be the sad case. Well, I say to hell with them.

People, listen: public displays of stupidity in front of children are not a viable method of conflict resolution. Anyone who wants to debate me on the matter is welcome. In the meantime, every sane, dignified person out there, let’s start calling these idiotic, bullying, self-important people to task for their behavior.

I blogged a while ago about eliminating the influence of ugly people in my life. This is a next step in that. From now on, NO ONE will be safe from being called to task about ridiculous behavior. Call me pompous, call me annoyed, don’t care. Am I ranting? Yep. Don’t care.