And so I quit…
I never used to be a political person. I have had “no party affiliation” on my voter registration card since I was 18. I always voted and I voted my conscience… which was usually Republican. I was also a cradle Catholic, so there was a lot of that in my psyche, too. But I excelled at seeing both sides of the argument and - driving my husband crazy - could point out when the other side had valid arguments for their stance or platform.
Students, being nosy, would often ask me if I was a Republican or Democrat. And I always told them the truth… neither. I chose to hate everyone equally. They found this very funny.
Eventually, though, the choices on political candidates became limited and I struggled to find a candidate I could get behind.
Then came the election of 2016. Was this really the best our country had to offer? It felt like a crap shoot. I voted for one candidate; my husband voted for the other. Neither of us were thrilled with the options. The case was the same for 2020. My husband voted for one; I voted for the other.
Meanwhile in Florida, Ron DeSantis was elected to his second term in office as governor. Again, I was not thrilled. All during Covid in his first term, we teachers struggled to stay healthy, keep our students safe, and still create engaging lessons with major restrictions while teaching in person, online, hybrid, or all three (which was the case for me). At our Title 1 high school, we struggled to provide Chromebooks for all of our students so they could work online… not that they all had access to internet. During all of this, the governor showed us very little concern, instead focusing on eliminating masking and packing the kiddos back into crowded classrooms.
So here we were with DeSantis back in office. And then it all crashed to the floor as he and the legislature began firing out a series of bills designed to cripple teachers unions, whitewash Black history, erase the LGBTQ+ population with an emphasis on transgender persons, and remove books on any of these topics from the schools and curriculum at the whim of a total stranger. My conscience was NOT HAPPY.
By the winter of 2022, I was mentally done. I could not work under the dictates of this administration. Me and hundreds of other teachers across the state, including friends and colleagues at school where I taught IB Literature and “regular ed” English (with predominantly low level students of color).
But I love my students, so I hung on, planning my departure after nine years in education for the end of the school year. As part of this departure, I presented a speech at the final school board meeting of the academic year explaining why they are in a crisis. A journalist and photographer for the Tampa Bay Times documented the event and my choice to leave the system.
The story was published June 15 and the response was beyond anything I would had expected. In the last four days, strangers from as far away as Indianapolis sent messages thanking me for taking a stand, following my conscience, doing the right thing. Folks I know here in Manatee County were posting and reposting the article on Facebook and LinkedIn, while parishioners at church, neighbors, and even our pharmacist were telling me “great job” and “I’m proud of you.”
Finally, during yesterday’s Sunday Mass at the Episcopal church I now attend, the priest offered a sermon on following the call of God to go out on faith and follow the path He has placed before us.
I think I have found that path.
For Lane DeGregory’s story in the Tampa Bay Times, visit:
