Most individuals will encounter the education system at some point in their lives, either as students or as parents. In the current education system, teachers are responsible for the well-being of the students and for preparing them for the fast-paced world; hence, it is their responsibility to ensure their students learn in an inclusive, diverse environment where students feel respected and valued. In addition to these responsibilities, teachers must address parents’ concerns about their children’s education. This could be especially challenging when the parents become extremely overprotective and hold unrealistic expectations of their child’s academic or social performance, leading to many escalating conflicts resulting in protests. The short film “Alternative Math” explores the complex relationship between parents, administrators, and teachers, the three major stakeholders in the education system. Although the parents are a major part of a school’s foundation, the education system should prioritize the needs of the students before the wants of the parents by trusting teachers to do what’s best for their students. Rather than allowing the overly protective nature of the parents to hinder the growth of their children, the administrators should protect their teachers and allow them to foster meaningful learning experiences for these students.

The short film introduces an elementary student, Danny, who has failed his Math test. When Danny’s parents meet with Mrs. Wells to talk about the test; rather than supporting the teacher and discussing methods to help Danny, the parents instead get into an argument. A sarcastic comparison is used to highlight the excessive protectiveness of parents, as they oppose the teacher’s viewpoint solely to defend the child’s perception with Danny’s mother saying “No No, she’s right. Thank you. Right out of Nazi Germany.” This argument is caused by a contradiction between Mrs. Wells’s insistence that 2 + 2 = 4 and Danny’s parents’ insistence that their child’s answer of 22 is correct, which is obviously false. Yet, Danny’s mother is comparing Mrs. Wells to Nazis. Rather degrading to Mrs. Well, it reveals how the parents’ extremely protective actions are more like Nazis as they are convinced that their child’s perception is the superior answer (referencing the Nazi’s belief in a superior race) and are threatening and insulting the teacher just because the teacher has a different view than them (Nazi’s intense propaganda and brainwash). Rather than helping their children, the parents’ uncompromising belief impedes teachers from focusing on teaching the students the fundamentals and allowing them to improve but instead forces teachers to justify even the most basic and factual lessons. 

Threats alone won’t completely stop a teacher from her purpose, but when the concerns aren’t addressed properly by administrators, the concerns will escalate. When the school principal intervenes, rather than providing constructive feedback to Mrs. Wells on how she might be able to better communicate with students, the principal declares, “It’s not [her] job to tell students when they’re right and wrong.” The use of irony highlights the absurdity of the administrator’s action as they continue to compromise with the parents, even though they are clearly in the wrong. A teacher’s role involves guiding students toward understanding new knowledge, helping them understand new concepts, and pointing out mistakes to reflect and improve. If students do not realize their mistakes, they may continue to misunderstand crucial concepts, hindering their success in life. Yet, the principal tells Mrs. Wells to stop her action because he doesn’t want to offend the parents or answer his boss and tries to satisfy the parents by blindly following the parent’s stance. It is these administrative actions that foster the resistance teachers face in the current education system, obstructing the students’ education and teachers’ abilities to properly teach. With weak administrators like this, the education system will fail its job. This illustrates the need for administrators to stand up for their teachers and to have the same goal of preparing the children.

Although the principal's blind support is absurd, they reflect a rational fear. Just three days after Mrs. Wells's interaction with Danny, the media sensationalizes the event, leading to  “Breaking News” and the accusation that she was “abusing her student’s First Amendment Rights.” The hyperbole highlights the unjust defamation of her character and the need for administrators to support the truth. Mrs. Wells’s actions are completely within her job description, yet words such as “abuse” are used to describe her actions. Yet, She is forced to “reconsider [her] extremist views” when those “extremist views” are simply mathematical equations, and she just simply tells the children the established truth, never even getting close to violating the First Amendment, revealing the unfairness of the criticism. The conflict all came about due to a small dispute with the parents, and it is not even close to “breaking news”. Knowing this in mind, the administrators should stand up for their teachers and explain the truth, rather than allowing the public to push the teachers around. Otherwise, teachers will become unwilling to teach a wide range of topics for fear of being fired. Administrators and teachers should work together instead of against or in fear of offending the parents as these children are the future of humanity.

Mrs. Wells might be a fictional character, and any educated person knows that 2 + 2 = 4; however, “Alternative Math” does bring the relationship between the parents, administrators, and teachers in the education system into question. Teachers face challenges in promoting critical thinking and exploring diverse topics, especially as the banning of Critical Race Theory and books in states such as Texas becomes a heated debate throughout the United States due to parents’ concerns. Yet, the administrators are doing little to support their teachers and encourage them to teach a diverse topic, placing unnecessary pressure on the teachers as they face restrictions in everything they do. Perhaps the administrators should empower them with more decision-making authority, given their expertise and dedication to the field, and be trusted and respected more as they are creating the future of the country.