Lord Voldemort Is Not Scary

Dolores Umbridge however, is terrifying.

I've seen Dolores, and she often works in the American public school system, dressed as a teacher, adminstrator, or social worker. Her evil is made possible through petty authority granted by compulsory attendance.

The worst example I experienced recently was in graduate school for education. The fascist facilitating our class about special education announced on the first day:

"Any wording other than 'students with special needs' will result in an immediate 10 point deduction from your final grade in this class. The terms 'handicapped,' 'special-ed student,' or 'special needs student' are no longer acceptable."

You can imagine what the rest of the semester was like. A didactic litany of political correctness will quickly turn empathy to resentment.

The problem is not one isolated incident, but an interlocking network of people in authority who think this way. Together, over time, they institute a climate of education where students become afraid to think.

Or to question.

Not everyone in the school system is like that, of course. Many phenomenal educators — and I've seen some superb examples — dedicate their lives to the art of teaching. And I thank them for giving me hope. But I've encountered Dolores enough to decide for myself to walk away from classroom teaching.

Oh, I'll still teach. It just won't be in the system.

It will be where I can make rapid progress with words and with thoughts, free from the influence of Umbridge and Fudge, and O.W.L.s, and those who would seek to have non-conformists removed because we do not think like them or adequately respect their overstated authority.

It felt good to say that. One more thing left to say.

Perhaps the only thing scarier than Dolores Umbridge is this.