A Teacher's Lasting Lessons — Twenty20. Let's see good. Together

Occasionally, I’ll find a news item whose message is much bigger than its singular headline. “Teacher of the Year Kneels During Championship” is one such story. It showed a picture of Kelly Holstine, Minnesota's 2019 Teacher of the Year, taking a knee during the National Anthem prior to a Championship game on January 13th.

A quick Google search shows this is no random act but one of countless moments in the purposeful life of a teacher whose lessons of inclusion and empowerment extend far beyond the classroom.

It’s an extension of her 2019 TED Talk titled, "Educators Must Be More Than Allies,” in which she challenges teachers to leave their comfort zones and "stand up for all of the human beings who are being marginalized or oppressed." It’s in keeping with the alternative Tokata Learning Center she founded—whose “Every Heart Matters” philosophy and emphasis on self-expression is what won her the honor in the first place.

The teacher has made headlines before—most notably in April, 2019, when she joined Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Jessica Dueñas, in boycotting a White House ceremony in their honor to protest not just its education and LGBTQ policies, but those that negatively impact her immigrant and refugee students.

One of Holstine’s messages to her students.

As the first openly LGBTQ teacher to receive the honor, Holstine’s example ALSO challenges the 16% of Americans* who still believe gay teachers, “threaten our children’s innocence and twist it into something disgusting,” (according to one homophobic post*). Despite the LGBTQ fight’s high-profile accomplishments, Holstine knows there are pockets where discrimination remains unchanged. (Recent data even shows a rise in LGBTQ hate crimes.)

While the lessons are profound, Holstine—ever the educator—says she advocates and protests with one long-term goal: the day where she can stop “wondering what kind of genderphobia and homophobia I’ll have to deal with next,” and simply focus on teaching.

Click here to learn more about Holstine and her mission.

*Source: Debate.org, Should Teachers Be Fired for Being Gay?