I am a New York City public school teacher.
I am a heterosexual female.
I am a Catholic who does not judge others “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (MLK Jr.).
I am not a Democrat.
I am not a Republican.
I did not vote for Hillary Clinton.
I did vote for Donald Trump.
It seems that these are the most important things that one should know about me, because THESE are the things that DEFINE me, right?
Wrong.
Throughout the election process, I watched as my friends vigorously posted statuses on Facebook and memes on Instagram, slashing both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Throughout the election, I refrained from posting anything political, no matter how badly I wanted to respond or comment.
After Trump took the position of president-elect, I watched, as Facebook statuses appeared "IF YOU VOTED FOR HIM, DELETE ME NOW. YOU'RE DEAD TO ME" and "I CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE YOUR FRIEND IF YOU HAVE VOTED FOR THAT MAN."
As a public school city teacher, I know that by voting for Donald Trump, I'm the odd ball out; the thorn among roses. And I knew that going into work on November 9th, there would be glances, glares, and cold shoulders. I understand New York is a Democratic Party affiliate.
What I did not know (or expect) was that by not siding with the Democratic Party, I would be judged and hated.
What I did not expect was that teachers who have been my friends for years would tell me "If you voted for him, it changes the way I think about you, and I honestly don't know if I can be your friend."
What I did not expect was for an administrator in my school to address me and ask, "You didn't vote for Trump, right?" When I responded to that with, "Well, why do you ask?" the administrator they could “never support someone who is okay with racist, misogynist principles."
The administrator who asked me if I supported Donald Trump is the person who evaluates me each year. This evaluative rating is guided by the “objective" Danielson Framework. This rating determines whether or not I am a good teacher or a great teacher, or god forbid a not-so-great teacher.
I never expected that in a public school setting, teachers who voted for Donald Trump would be told he/she is a "racist", "homophobic, "white supremacist", or "misogynist".
I never knew that all of my morals and principles were determined based off of whom I vote for in a United States election.
My students come from a variety of beautiful backgrounds. Some of my students are African-American and Latin American. I have students who are Jewish, students who are Muslim, and students who are Christian. I have students who are supporters and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I have students who love hip-hop and students who love classical music. I have students who want to be writers, doctors, and even NBA players. I have students who struggle to read but love Math, and vice versa. They are all different, in so many different ways. And they are why I come to work every day: because I love them.
I love being a part of their education. I love helping them to think critically about the world around them. I love helping them grow personally and academically. And I love helping them to accept and love all of the diversity within their school and classroom.
“But Donald Trump does not support diversity. He hates gays, he hates Muslims, and he hates Latinos. If what you just said is true, then would you vote for him?”
I am not writing this to defend, or offend, Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump. I am writing this because I am NOT a racist, I am NOT a homophobe, and I am NOT a white supremacist. And, I am in utter disbelief and shock that in a public education system, teachers are turning on one another based off of political choice.
I am in utter disbelief that I find myself second-guessing if I will receive a good rating or not, because my political choice differs from that of my administrator.
I am in utter disbelief that I am very much like some of my middle school students in the lunch room: I have no one to sit with while I eat lunch, because my political choices make me a bad person.
Because I voted for Trump, I’m not a good person anymore?
I am in utter disbelief that in a world where we fight so hard for people to accept what makes us different, people are still ostracizing and judging others who have different choices, or values. We DO NOT have to agree with each other, and we most certainly will not, especially when we discuss controversial issues. At the very least, we should try to show respect to one another, differences aside.
I am writing this because I have a passion for education, and I believe it is important to teach students tolerance and acceptance. What are we conveying to students if teachers who disagree cannot respect one another? What is happening to our education system? What examples are we setting? If the adults don’t know how to behave, how can we expect our students to?
I voted for Donald Trump for President of the United States.
Who I choose does not dictate WHO I am.
