Teacher's viral resignation letter: 'I cannot justify making students cry anymore'

Image: Facebook/Wendy Bradshaw

A resignation letter written by a primary school teacher from Florida has gone viral after claiming that the education system is ‘harming’ children.

Teacher Wendy Bradshaw posted the hard-hitting letter on Facebook on 23 October, after delivering it to the Polk County Board of Education, and it has since been shared over 70,000 times.

The post criticises recent American education reforms, specifically the Common Core curriculum, which was announced in 2009 and has proved controversial ever since.

‘Like many other teachers across the nation, I have become more and more disturbed by the misguided reforms taking place which are robbing my students,’ Wendy explains.

The new mother spent years paving the way to her dream career completing an undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree in education.

Sharing a heartwarming list all of the reasons she ‘loves’ teaching, Wendy says: ‘Student’s eyes light up when they grasp a new concept. Their bodies straighten with pride and satisfaction when they persevere and accomplish a personal goal.’

Wendy also went the extra mile by spending ‘countless hours after school and on weekends poring over research so that I would know and be able to implement the most appropriate and effective methods.’

But the committed teacher said she could no longer justify reducing students to tears with challenges that aren't achievable.

‘They cry with frustration as they are asked to attempt tasks well out of their zone of proximal development.’

‘Their shoulders slump with defeat as they are put in front of poorly written tests that they cannot read, but must attempt.’

https://www.facebook.com/wendy.bradshaw1/posts/10206677508354085

It was her newborn daughter, who arrived on 8 June, that finally confirmed all of Wendy’s’ fears about the education system.

‘I remember cradling her in the hospital bed on our first night together and thinking - in five years you will be in kindergarten and will go to school with me.’

‘That thought should have brought me joy, but instead it brought dread. I will not subject my child to this disordered system, and I can no longer in good conscience be a part of it myself.’

Wendy is also the Facebook administrator for the Opt Out Polk and Opt Out Florida, which encouraged the school system to not join the Common Core standards.

‘I wanted nothing more than to serve the students of this county, my home, by teaching students and preparing new teachers to teach students well,’ she wrote - and has since been inundated with Facebook comments asking for her to come and teach their children.