"G" Does Not Stand for Good, It Stands For Bad Grammar

 It was a test in chemistry back when I was a first-year student in college. The instructor showed to the class the first page of my exam with a huge red letter "G" mark on it. The "G" does not stand for Good, it stands for bad grammar. Then it was followed by an exam from another student. This time, it was marked "VG", which stood for verbal garbage. At least, the content of my answer was correct. As we greet the year 2022, it seems that we are in the same place, we are missing the point. A letter from the Arlington Education Association has gone viral on social media not because of its message. Apparently, in just five paragraphs, there are numerous errors in grammar. The letter, however, brings to our attention, a very important point. Schools are about to reopen in a couple of days, and we are currently in the midst of a huge surge in coronavirus cases, and after two years through this pandemic, we still do not have the necessary testing capacity. The positive rate in Fairfax county, for example, has reached 20 percent.

It is indeed proper to expect our teachers to demonstrate good grammar, but it is also true that we expect our government to provide what is necessary to control this pandemic. Educators should not carry the burden of ensuring there are enough covid tests. This responsibility lies on our county officials. There is a strong aversion toward school closures, but with the Omicron variant and its high transmissibility even with fully vaccinated individuals, the virus may just decide these closures for us. Right now, flights are being canceled not because someone in the government has ordered their cancellations. The reason is: There is a shortage of crew because of coronavirus. The teaching profession has not been attractive in the past years. We are simply making it even less attractive now.

Here is hoping that 2022 will be the year we see what we really need to see.