“In the end, proper spelling doesn’t get you a job when you graduate high school. Does a lawyer, electrician, mechanic need to use proper spelling to be successful? I’m not sure they do.”
Knowing the times tables doesn’t get you a job either. Neither does knowing how a bill is passed, who was the president who freed the slaves, or where Russia is on the world map. So why bother. 7 x 6 is whatever, the Senate and the House of Representatives are the exact same thing, Russia is next to Australia, and Roosevelt freed the slaves in 1776.
One would think elementary school teachers would at least take spelling and grammar mistakes seriously, not brush them off. Do you care about bring a role model or not?