When words degrade the truth

As a lifelong resident of Idaho, a product of its public schools kindergarten through graduate school, and a special educator in my 6th year at Lakeland School District, I feel I have a strong pulse on education in Idaho. Currently, there are a multitude of issues at hand and ideologies at odds, but rather than engage that debate, I think it's time we finally acknowledge the greater picture here. Honestly, I'm done discussing laptops and larger class sizes. I hope those of you reading this will join me into a journey past the politicized surface, and into the actuality of education in Idaho. Here we go. . .

Public education is fundamental, and we cannot be afraid to demand justice for it. The proposed education reform facing our state right now is the antithesis of, and an unfortunate example of the power of misleading words. Right now, this proposed reform is more about politics than people, and when we allow such a fundamental system as public education to be compromised in this fashion, we are failing those that fall within it, not to mention, democracy. Mr. Luna's clever misnomer, "Students Come First," will not better Idaho education, but rather, it will legislate inopportunity for students, educators and Idaho as a whole. As Idahoans, we cannot afford to fool ourselves with this one.

Words are too powerful to be so blatantly misused. And politicizing an issue that should be focused on people is immoral at best. Mr. Luna's ironic choice of a title for reform, alongside his repeated bashing of the "union," has undoubtedly conjured up politicized imagery, and infused rhetoric into what should be rational. We can all use words in a variety of ways, but at some point, they should have to be true.

I personally fell victim to an ugly misuse of words myself lately. Following a picture of me on the cover of the Feb. 13 issue of The Press, bloggers proceeded to write the most disgustingly horrible things I've ever heard about myself. They took their offense with my attire as an opportunity to offend both my person and profession. They accused me of selling sex in my classroom. They insinuated that my appearance is how I "hook" my special education students. They told me I should keep the flirting for after hours. They even compared me to the notorious pedophile, Mary Kay Letourneau. Wow! Words sure are powerful sometimes. I guess they didn't realize I was a well-respected educator and member of the community, who when not in my classroom, spends time coaching the Special Olympics and pursuing my PhD at Gonzaga.

So, who remembers the time that naming a reform plan "Students Come First" was an unfortunate inaccuracy? Or, who remembers when a special education teacher was called a pedophile because of a single picture? Basically, who remembers the time that the conversation in Idaho had sunk this low?

Idahoans need to stand collectively and demand better. We need to make our voices heard. We need to demand justice in public education. Lastly, we need to remember that words are powerful. And if we're going to speak them, we should at minimum, make sure they're true.

Meghan Ridley teaches special education at Betty Kiefer Elementary and is president of the Lakeland Education Association.