Say what you want about teachers, but none can deny they’re a cornerstone of society, ensuring each generation receives the schooling and education needed to serve them in life. It takes an incredible amount of dedication to be a good educator, far more than the average person realizes, which is why it’s deeply unfair that they are so rarely given their due. Operating as a public school teacher often means being underpaid, underappreciated, and constantly overwhelmed.

To shed some experienced light on the subject, retired teacher Lisa Robertson wrote a poignant letter to a local newspaper sharing her candid thoughts. Her message has quickly transformed into an internet hit, sparking a highly mixed and passionate response across social media. Read her full statement below and see where you stand on this ongoing debate:

“As a retired teacher, I am sick of people who know nothing about public schools or have not been in a classroom recently deciding how to fix our education system. The teachers are not the problem! Parents are the problem! They are not teaching their children manners, respect or even general knowledge of how to get along with others. The children come to school in shoes that cost more than the teacher’s entire outfit, but have no pencil or paper. Who provides them? The teachers often provide them out of their own pockets. When you look at schools that are “failing,” look at the parents and students. Do parents come to parent nights? Do they talk with teachers regularly? Do they make sure their children are prepared by having the necessary supplies? Do they make sure their children do their homework? Do they have working telephone numbers? Do the students take notes in class? Do they do their homework? Do the students listen in class, or are they the sources of class disruptions? When you look at these factors, you will see that it is not schools that are failing but the parents. Teachers cannot do their jobs and the parents’ job. Until parent step up and do their job, nothing is going to get better!”

What do you think about her perspective on accountability in the education system? Feel free to share this letter with your friends on Facebook to keep the conversation going!