The U.S. Department of Education marked Teacher Appreciation Week with a post on X featuring a character from SpongeBob SquarePants, quickly drawing mockery and backlash online.
The Controversial Post
On Thursday, the department shared an image of Mrs. Puff, the boating school teacher, reading a book titled "MAGA" with the caption: "Teachers are dedicated." The post was intended to celebrate educators but instead ignited a firestorm of criticism.
President Donald Trump has long sought to dismantle the Department of Education, a fact that critics highlighted as ironic given the post's theme.
Online Reactions
Many users pointed out the perceived hypocrisy: Republicans often accuse schools of indoctrinating children with Democratic values, yet here was a government agency promoting a MAGA-themed image.
- Joshua Rush tweeted: "Republicans: the children are being indoctrinated by Democrats in schools! Republicans running the Department of Education: [link to post]."
- Damin Toell wrote: "It's a perfect tweet because, between the right-wing hatred of teachers and the graphic having the character reading a book called MAGA somehow, there are zero people happy about it."
- Dave McNamee noted: "You realize she is famous for her main student constantly failing."
Others referenced Mrs. Puff's role in the show, where her student SpongeBob repeatedly fails his driving exam despite her efforts. JaguarGator9 commented: "Mrs. Puff was so dedicated that after SpongeBob failed his driving test, she just said 'f it' and gave him a 10-word test, which he didn't even complete, and still passed him. She is the literal worst example you could've used for this."
Some users expressed outrage that a federal department would use a cartoon character for political messaging. PatriotTakes asked: "Is that supposed to be teacher reading a MAGA book?"
The post also drew criticism from educators. Quentin Ocama stated: "I teach phonics not bullshit."
Others highlighted the contradiction of celebrating teachers while the administration seeks to eliminate the department. Dan Koh tweeted: "Dedicated despite Trump trying to eliminate the entire department."
Wider Implications
The incident reflects ongoing tensions over the role of government in education and accusations of political bias. The Department of Education did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
