“The sad reality is that when you defend the indefensible, you lose your credibility when it comes to other issues as well”
I greatly appreciated Mrs. Heyman’s sensitive, articulate, and very enlightening chart exploring some of the frictions and misunderstandings that arise between parents and school administrations. It was extremely helpful and thought-provoking to see the various perspectives on the hot-button issues. Hopefully, some of the points she made can help us achieve mutual respect and understanding.
The project was so well-done that I found it all the more perplexing that she included a defense for schools giving several days off before Succos with the claim that “teachers need more than four hours to cook for Yom Tov.” The explanation she provided didn’t justify the vacation days at all. The sad reality is that when you defend the indefensible, you lose your credibility when it comes to other issues as well. This was a perfect example.
It’s true that teachers need more than four hours to cook for Yom Tov. Guess what? So do accountants, babysitters, nurses, computer programmers, and graphic designers — all of whom are commonly found among the mothers of today’s students. None of these mothers, however, expect to be given three to four extra days off before the many vacation days they will take for Yom Tov.
So you probably wonder, how do they possibly manage to do all that Yom Tov cooking? Especially when, as Mrs. Heyman points out, takeout is expensive and the cheaper dishes usually involve more labor-intensive preparation (a budgetary reality that doesn’t only apply to teachers).
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