Teacher From Iowa School Saddened As Pizzas Brought In For Students Are Removed By Principal Because "It Wasn't Fair To Other Classes"

Dec 29, 2019 by apost team

Teachers today have a daunting task with "No Child Left Behind," Common Core, dwindling budgets, and standardized testing. The face of education has created a climate of competition and constant assessments which can leave both teachers and students exhausted and less than motivated.

Teachers often resort to creative solutions in an effort to inspire students and reward them for their hard work and diligence. One teacher from Brody Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa, decided to reward the hard work and efforts of thier students with a pizza party which was paid for out of their own hard-earned money.

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But the principal of the school quickly put an end to the pizza party, confiscating the pizza literally out of the hands of the students. According to WFTV, a Facebook post from a parent stated that the teacher left the classroom in tears after the principal said that "it wasn't fair to the other students in other classes."

The teacher had not been told that organizing the pizza party was against rules or that rewarding students was not allowed. In fact, the party had been announced in advance and the students had worked hard and were really looking forward to it. As if the pressures of the normal school day weren't enough, imagine their absolute shock when they went above and beyond to organize the party and then the principal walked in, in front of the students, proclaimed the unfairness of the party, and then removed the pizzas with the smell still lingering in the air.

Parents were outraged at the principal's actions. One father, Neil Erickson, wrote on Facebook that his son was excited and talking about the pizza party for days. More importantly, the student was excited that they had set a goal and earned the party. He went on to share that not only did the principal confiscate the pizzas but said something to the effect that he "would never approve pizza parties."

Many who did not have students in the class said that the whole incident could have been avoided if the teacher had simply gotten express permission to have the pizza party before it was planned and announced. Principal Hoffman released a statement in the Des Moines Register that one of his top priorities was fairness and equal opportunities for all of the students. He also said that as a staff, they had routinely discussed fairness and equality for all students at the middle school. Perhaps the fairness that he spoke of was implied as equality to the curriculum and the opportunities afforded at the school.

In a politically correct apology, he did admit to being sorry that the students were disappointed and that his actions seemed to be overly strict and punitive. He saw the error of his ways, something we all need to attempt to do at times.