Once December hits, the steady stream of holiday parties can seem never-ending. That's especially true for teachers, who have to somehow get all of their students (and their parents) to come through with their assigned snacks on the big day. Getting overwhelmed by it all is understandable, but Mississippi mom Takaria Scott wasn't thrilled with how her daughter's teacher recently chose to handle the situation. Apparently, in an effort to prevent any flaky parents, the educator sent a letter home explaining that kids who didn't bring food to the upcoming holiday party wouldn't be permitted to eat. Let's just say, that approach didn't go over well.
The mom shared the infuriating note on her Facebook page, where she accused her child's teacher of having no compassion.
"This is definitely not acceptable in my eyes," the mom wrote in her December 10 post.
Scott included a photo of the letter, which clearly shows the Meridian School District teacher's attempt to lay down the law. The party was going to be held on December 19, the letter announced, and there was a space where each parent could write in the item that their child would offer to bring.
(Normal so far, right?)
But then things took a sharp left turn.
"My philosophy is: If they [the children] don't bring anything, they don't eat anything," the teacher wrote.
Scott was appalled, and she shared the photo in protest of the teacher's tirade. "Now for these kids to be between 6-7years this should not be a philosophy," the mom wrote. "Kids are kids man."
After sharing the photo, the post quickly went viral, with over 3,100 commenters weighing in on the mom's message.
Some people took the teacher's side. If parents aren't responsible enough, their kids shouldn't eat, they argued.
One commenter even got pretty heated.
"But the [expletive] parent can muster up a few bucks for cigarettes and other irrelevant stuff but can’t buy a big bag of chips for a 1 dollar at Dollar Tree," the person wrote. "Stop making excuses for them non-participating parents."
"They still gonna get lunch just nothing at the party," another commenter added. "Act like they gonna go hungry."
"Makes sense it’s instilling the real world into their life," a third person commented.
Other people, however, saw the mom's point. Kids shouldn't be punished for what their parents can or can't provide.
"So the kids who can't afford to bring anything will sit and watch others eat?" one woman commented. "Way to teach children compassion, community service … Oh wait! Teacher clearly failed at that."
"Punish the kids because the parent didn't send food with them?" another chimed in. "That's dumb."
"If a teacher gives a party she should accommodate all students," a third person declared. "What ever happened to kindness, love and giving? To deny a child food is heartless."
Luckily, the mom's heartfelt message reached the ears of her child's school superintendent -- who promptly responded.
On December 12, Superintendent Amy Carter wrote a letter apologizing on behalf of the district for the teacher's insensitive letter.
"We want our students to view school as a safe space," Carter wrote. "Our students should know that the moment they come to school, that they are in an environment where they are nurtured by their teacher.
"I can't publicly speak to specifics regarding the teacher," she continued. "However, I want to assure our families and students that all students will participate and no students will be made to feel uncomfortable if they don't bring refreshments."
According to Scott, she sees this response as a huge win. After all, that's all she wanted anyway.
"And then this happened," the mom wrote on Facebook the same day she received Carter's reply. "Thanks to you all that reached out in this matter as well!!! It was handled!!!"
At the end of the day, this is great news for every child in the class — which is certainly what matters most.
