A Masterclass in Educational Bureaucracy: The Art of Doing Nothing

Let’s start with the obvious: I did not ask why the teacher is absent. It’s none of my business, and frankly, I don’t care.

What I do care about—what my child cares about—is the glaring void left in her education when no one steps up to ensure that learning continues. And yet, here we are, receiving the same templated responses, the same administrative shrugs, and the same lack of solutions. Again.

So, let’s break this down in a way that might help drive the point home. Maybe bullet points will make it easier to digest because, clearly, full sentences and paragraphs haven’t been enough to spark action.

The Reality:

• A teacher has been absent for weeks (already experienced the same in 2023).
• No structured alternative education plan has been implemented (the teacher left material, but no teaching takes place)
• The "solution" consists of a rotating door of substitutes who do not teach but merely remind students to do work assigned.
• When no substitute is available, the answer is to send students to the gym—because nothing says ‘world history education’ quite like basketballs and treadmills.

The Response:

• "We’re managing it as best we can with the resources available." Translation: We acknowledge the problem but don’t have the will or infrastructure to fix it.
• "We are thankful for your graciousness and understanding." Correction: I am neither gracious nor understanding. I am exhausted and frustrated.
• "There are many details that feed into the issue you are facing." Ah, the classic non-answer. Because if the issue is complicated, that means it’s unsolvable, right? Right?
• "We are committed to ensuring that your education continues smoothly during this period." A bold statement considering the glaring absence of any actual teaching.

The Bigger Issue:

This isn’t about one teacher’s absence. Teachers are human. They get sick. They need time off. The issue is the lack of accountability and proactive planning to ensure that students don’t sit in limbo when a teacher is gone for an extended period.

A Few Simple Questions (That Remain Unanswered):

1. Why does it take a parent complaint for the school to acknowledge a disruption in learning?
2. Why isn’t there a structured plan in place for extended teacher absences?
3. Why do students have to advocate for their own education while administrators send empty reassurances?
4. Why is ‘going to the gym’ an acceptable alternative to world history instruction?
5. How does this align with the mission and vision of MNPS?

I have spent years teaching my daughter the value of advocating for herself, of writing emails, of questioning the system when it fails her. And so far, she has received nothing but hollow responses, proving time and time again that no one in power is actually listening.

So, I will continue using the powerful tool—email— (they become a legal document) to remind you that silence and inaction do not make the problem go away. I will continue asking the questions that expose the glaring inefficiencies of a system that claims to prioritize education while repeatedly proving otherwise. And no, I will not be gracious about it.

Because my child deserves better. Because all students deserve better. Because this should not be acceptable.

Yadira Calderon - Parent

Education Rights Institute U.S. Department of Education - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Metro Nashville Public Schools Tennessee Department of Education