Some teachers are planning to push back against attacks on their job protections by taking to the streets outside their schools. Others are planning to take to the blogosphere.
In the Community section today, Liza Campbell writes about her colleagues’ plans for next week’s Fight Back Friday, which include picketing on the street after school.
I also heard today from Community contributor Stephen Lazar about an effort he’s helping spearhead for teachers across the country to blog on Tuesday about why they support their unions. His post will appear on GothamSchools.
Here’s what Lazar and a group of other teachers, including some from New York City, are are asking teacher-bloggers to do:
We encourage you to publish a piece on March 22 entitled “Why Teachers Like Me Support Unions.” In this piece, please explain your own reasons for being a proud union member and/or supporter. Including personal stories can make this a very powerful piece. It would be great to also explain how being a union member supports and enables you to be the kind of teacher that you are. We want these posts to focus not only on our rights, but also on what it takes to be a great teacher for students, and how unions support that.
The full description of the project is below.
As we all know, teachers and our unions, along with those of other public sector employees, face unprecedented attacks in the national media and from local and state governments. It is easy for politicians and the media to demonize the “unions” and their public faces; it is far more difficult to demonize the millions of excellent teachers who are proud union members. Those of us who are excellent teachers and who stand in solidarity with our unions are probably no stranger to the question “Well, why are you involved with the union if you’re a good teacher?” It’s time for us to stand up and answer that question loudly and clearly. On Tuesday, March 22, teachers in NYC will wear red in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are under attack in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and elsewhere. We also stand with teachers in places like Idaho, California, and Texas who are facing massive layoffs. We would like to take this stand on the web as well. We encourage you to publish a piece on March 22 entitled “Why Teachers Like Me Support Unions.” In this piece, please explain your own reasons for being a proud union member and/or supporter. Including personal stories can make this a very powerful piece. It would be great to also explain how being a union member supports and enables you to be the kind of teacher that you are. We want these posts to focus not only on our rights, but also on what it takes to be a great teacher for students, and how unions support that. After you have published your post, please share it through the form that will go live on March 22 at http://www.edusolidarity.us. Posts should also be shared on Twitter using the tag #edusolidarity. In Solidarity, Ken Bernstein – Social Studies, MD – teacherken Anthony Cody – Science Instructional Coach, CA – Living in Dialogue Ed Darrell – Social Studies, TX – Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub Nancy Flanagan – Educational Consultant, MI – Teacher in a Strange Land Jonathan Halabi – Math, NY – JD2718 Jamie Josephson – Social Studies, DC – Dontworryteach Stephen Lazar – Social Studies/English, NY – Outside the Cave Deborah Meier – Professor of Education, NY – Deborah Meier’s Blog Doug Noon – Elementary, AK – Borderland Kate Nowak – Math, NY – f(t) Sabrina Stevens Shupe – Educational Activist, CO – Failing Schools Jose Vilson – Math, NY – The Jose Vilson