Retired Teacher’s Honest Message to Parents Goes Viral: “Teachers Are Not the Problem”

A retired teacher’s blunt message about parents and schools sparked a heated debate online.

In a 2017 open letter published by the Augusta Chronicle, retired teacher Lisa Roberson argued that teachers are often blamed for problems that begin outside the classroom.

Her message was direct:

“The teachers are not the problem! Parents are the problem!”

Roberson said many teachers deal with students who arrive at school without basic supplies, proper manners, respect, or the preparation needed to learn effectively.

She also claimed that teachers sometimes spend their own money buying supplies for students while trying to manage children who don’t complete homework or follow classroom rules.

But her biggest concern wasn’t about the students themselves.

It was about parental involvement.

Roberson challenged parents to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions.

Are they attending parent-teacher meetings?

Are they communicating regularly with their children’s teachers?

Are they checking that homework is completed?

Do their children arrive at school with the supplies they need?

And, perhaps most importantly, are parents teaching their children basic respect and responsibility at home?

Her argument was that teachers can guide, educate, and support children, but they cannot replace the role of parents.

Her conclusion was simple and blunt:

“Teachers cannot do their jobs and the parents’ job.”

The letter quickly spread across social media, with some readers praising Roberson for speaking honestly and others arguing that the challenges facing schools are much more complicated.

Regardless of which side people take, her message continues to raise an important question:

How much responsibility should parents take for what happens in the classroom?