The Wisconsin instructor who needed her youngsters to sing 'Rainbowland' says the varsity district plans to fireside her and issues are 'solely going to worsen' for educators

• A Wisconsin instructor who criticized her faculty’s determination to dam youngsters from singing “Rainbowland” says she’s going to be fired.
• The district lower the music from a college live performance as a result of it was deemed too controversial, she stated.
• Melissa Tempel advised Insider she thinks issues are “solely going to worsen” for academics in America. 

The Wisconsin first-grade instructor who criticized her district’s determination to dam college students from performing “Rainbowland” by Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus at a college live performance says the district’s superintendent now desires her fired.

Waukesha College District instructor Melissa Tempel stated she was getting ready her college students to sing “Rainbowland,” a music about acceptance, when the varsity district axed it from the setlist in March as a result of it was too controversial. 

Tempel criticized the choice in media interviews and was placed on go away by the district.

In a letter Tempel says she acquired on Monday and obtained by Insider, Superintendent James Sebert writes that Tempel was free to disagree with the choice however that she broke district coverage by going public.

“The way during which you selected to precise your disagreement with the District’s determination was inappropriate, disruptive, and in violation of varied district insurance policies,” Sebert wrote within the letter.

He is now recommending that the varsity board hearth her, in accordance with a letter.

In an interview with Insider, Tempel says she had no hope of preserving her job now.

“I do know the varsity board,” she stated. “They’re those pushing these things the entire time, so I do not assume there’s any probability they will change their thoughts.”

In statements to Insider, each Sebert and president of the varsity board Kelly Piacsek declined to touch upon the letter, saying it was a “personnel matter.”

Tempel alleged her college students have been “floundering” at college whereas she’s been gone because the district thought-about her case for weeks.

“They have not had a instructor in over a month. It has been full chaos in my classroom,” Tempel stated. The “youngsters do not know what’s occurring they usually’re all involved and anxious.”

She added that she’s gotten messages from dad and mom saying their youngsters are “upset” and “crying” as a result of they do not know the place Tempel went.

Sebert and Piacsek additionally didn’t reply to questions on Tempel’s allegations.

‘Solely going to worsen’

And not using a job, Tempel says she’ll lose medical health insurance for herself and her household. A web-based fundraiser set as much as cowl her medical health insurance and authorized charges has raised greater than $6,500 — with the organizer saying leftover cash will go to an LGTBQ charity.

Tempel hopes her state of affairs will assist “the general public perceive what’s actually happening in faculties … not solely in Waukesha however all around the nation.” 

“In the event that they’re capable of silence academics or drive academics out of districts … the place they don’t seem to be feeling welcomed then we’re creating these voids in schooling the place pockets of persons are by no means going to listen to about range or acceptance for others,” Tempel stated. 

She stated the Waukesha College District’s insurance policies “actually promote range and fairness and studying in regards to the world” — however that issues have modified below a brand new faculty board.

“I really feel like … they’re making an attempt to slowly drive us loopy by making us really feel loopy by saying that we have performed issues incorrect once we have not performed something incorrect, once we are solely doing what we all know is true however they need us to doubt ourselves, they usually need us to at all times second guess earlier than we communicate,” Tempel stated. 

For now, she thinks the state of affairs is “solely going to worsen” for academics.

Since Tempel was placed on go away, a Republican state legislator representing her faculty’s space proposed a brand new legislation that may let dad and mom sue academics over “obscene” books.

However Tempel stated academics ought to communicate out since faculty boards “cannot do away with each instructor.”

“They cannot make us overlook about how they’re hurting youngsters as a result of we’re seeing it every single day,” she stated.