Change comes when we get involved.
As educators spend the summer waiting to find out what school will look like in the fall, what district’s will do about COVID-19, how their campuses and leaders will respond to calls to end systematic racism in their processes and practices, sometimes it can feel that we are sitting outside the decision making. It’s easy to feel separated from the table where decisions are made.
As an educator who has spent most of my career trying to stand up and speak out, I wan’t to say that you have a voice. You have power. What’s more punk rock than taking on the system? It can be hard to know where to start to have an impact beyond the four walls of our classroom so here are a few suggestions on how to start.
1) Attend a school board meeting - see how the sausage is made. Look at the agenda, what are they talking about? Is it what really matters? Are they tackling the issues you see as broken?Are they addressing inequity and injustice in you schools or are they adding more testing for “accountability?” Educators in the room changes how board members talk, how they act, and how they vote.
2) Share your input and stories at those board meetings and speak on the issues being discussed. You are the education expert. Board members sometimes don’t see the whole picture. They might do a school visit but they may not really see what the day to day is like. I had a school board member tell me he felt like a mushroom sometimes (kept in the dark). So use your voice and your stories to shine a light. It’s even better if you can bring your colleagues and community members to speak as well. Amplify those voices! Collective voices means collective power.
3) Find out what is going on with state politics and in your own community. Where does your local legislator stand? Do they support you and your students? You would be surprised how much you might not know about the people who make most of the decisions about your profession. Find out about what policies are impacting your community and your students. Find out how you can impact those. Attend a budget hearing, an education committee hearing, or a city council meeting.
4) Support and vote for candidates who support your profession, your students, and your community. Connect with their campaign, donate, phone bank, collect signatures, attend a forum, talk to those candidates, ask hard questions, and share your stories.
5) Join your local teachers’ union or another community organization and participate. Be a part of the process. I've met with legislators, talked to school board members, gotten information into the hands of voters, discussed school policy with my superintendency, and met with teachers to share information with them and empower them to make a difference all as a part of my local association. I’ve knocked on doors, collected signatures, marched on the capitol, and way more than I ever thought I would be comfortable with. I found a group of educators who wanted to change the system just like me and we organized. We supported each other. Find your crew and work with them.
I know we have a thousand things to do at our job and I just asked you to try doing 5 more. If we want the system to change we have to take action. They don’t all have to happen at once and you don’t have to do all of them. It’s a learning process. I know we don’t have unlimited time. I’ve been burned out on the work. Here’s the thing though, the more of us involved, the lighter the load. Collective voices and collective action have impact.
We have to come to grips with the fact that education is political, that the system needs to change, and that we can’t just sit there and teach. If we let those who know nothing about education run schools and we don't participate in the process we are doing ourselves, our profession, and our students a disservice.
You are the education expert. You are the educator. If we are going to fix education we need your help. Break out your DIY knowledge and help make change.
