The Evolution of Teaching in American Schools

“How dare you count my child absent?”

“Why did you grab my child by the face?”

“My four-year-old daughter says her teacher pushed her down. What are you going to do about it?”

“That teacher called my son names in class.”

“You’re not a fit.”

Welcome to the daily accusations aimed at educators across the country. One might think these complaints serve as isolated incidents that shouldn’t garner traction in the media. Sadly, this is not true. In my twenty years in education, I have heard every one of the above concerns as both a teacher and a campus leader. Years ago, most educators would deal with a complaint or two each year—they come with the territory, right? Today, the classroom has become nearly unrecognizable as teachers dodge complaints like bullets on a battlefield.

Early on as a cheer advisor, complaints took the shape of, “Why does Mary have to be in the back of the formation? She should get time in the front.” My principal would field the phone call, interrupt my lunch to tell me of the “concern” and then leave. I would talk to Mary about the importance of teamwork and that every position on the floor served as a vital role in the cheer routine. Life would move on.

However, life on the school campus no longer “moves on.” Education has become mired in the muck of individual aggrandizement. We watch parents lobby for fairness, as they see it, for their child rather than looking at an issue for the learning opportunity. Some parents struggle with the word “no” when told that the classroom can’t accommodate their child’s every whim. Campuses are experiencing an all-out assault where teachers now spend more time defending themselves for following school rules rather than actual teaching. 

Consider the first question at the beginning of this article, which was aimed at a colleague. A theatre student misunderstood and went straight to the stage rather than first reporting to class. The teacher needed to take roll quickly and get the students to the theatre so they could practice their play.  She sent in the electronic submission and escorted her students down the hall. The “absent” student’s parent received an attendance update and knew her child was at school. What followed was a string of heated words via email about the competence of the teacher. Damage done.

No sector of business is immune to heated discussions, communication struggles and misunderstandings. Nevertheless, this newfound battlefield in which teachers find themselves an unwitting participant seems a bit odd. When did adults forget to treat others as they would like to be treated? What happened to “walking a mile in someone’s shoes?” These concepts have been cornerstones of society for hundreds of years. I have taught them to my own students. Yet here we sit in 2025, and teachers find themselves enduring unnecessary attacks like never before. Many of these teachers have proven track records. They have served in the classroom for years, received praises aplenty by students and administrators alike. So, what gives?

What gives is the aggressiveness of parents who struggle to keep their emotional equilibrium when navigating systems outside of their control. This phenomenon is not isolated to the classroom. It is rampant wherever children and their parents congregate for group activities. 

CNN reported the problem in 2023. Based on statistics offered by the National Federation of State High School Associations, some 20,000 umpires have stepped back from supervising youth sports in a scant four-year period. 

What gives is an over-competitiveness that fails to acknowledge the gifts and talents each child possesses in lieu of the over-the-top money-making skills society values such as Ivy league acceptance and professional sports contracts. 

Students often answer the call of a competitive or overbearing parent by finding targets to take their place. A mom expecting nothing less than an “A” in freshman English can be re-directed when her child says that the teacher “never” told them the assignment was due on Thursday. Now, the child receives some amount of reprieve while Mom spends the next few days taking jabs at the teacher, the principal or both.

What gives are students who have learned the fine art of manipulation. Some students have figured out that by giving their parents a little information, but not all of it, their mom or dad will jump to their defense—even when there is nothing to defend. In some cases, a parent or student will resort to all-out fabrications to get their way or avoid a perceived slight. 

The American Psychological Association has also followed the increased violence toward educators and school personnel for years. Despite an expected uptick of incidents during the COVID pandemic, seventy percent of school staff continue to feel anxiety and stress brought on by the abusive communication strategies of parents. 

Public education has become increasingly unsustainable. In a career that was once lauded as honorable, even sacrificial, it no longer holds the same shine from decades ago. So many factors play into this phenomenon. Nonetheless, educators find themselves in the crosshairs.  Do they stay in a career where parent issues zap the energy they need for their students? The job has become unhealthy and untenable.

Ask your child’s teachers why they chose education as a career. Most of them will say, “I enjoy working with kids,” “I love that moment when a struggling student finally understands a concept,” or “Guiding others toward a productive future has always been my dream.” 

No teacher will say, “I really enjoy fielding a barrage of complaints by people unaware of how an incident unfolded and refuse to trust my education or experience.”

America, we have lost our way. 

Holly Yount is a freelance writer as well as an educator. She has taught in all program styles—public, private, charter, remote, and homeschool. She regards education as the great equalizer of our society and therefore doesn’t hesitate to work with students of all ages and capabilities. Writing has been a passion of Holly’s since high school when her own senior English teacher inspired her with positive comments on those “dreaded” literary analysis assignments! Now, many years later, Holly encourages other young writers to believe in the “power of the pen.”

Resources:

American Psychological Association. (2024 May). Violence and aggression against educators and

school personnel. Retrieved May 31, 2025 from https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/violence-educators

Yurkevich, Vanessa. (2023 May 18). America has an umpire shortage. Unruly parents aren’t helping.

CNN Business. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/18/business/umpire-shortage-parent-behavior/index.html