I am standing on my soap box in Fairfield, Connecticut where I am a Director for a National Writing Project site. I left the classroom five years ago to pursue a Ph.D. and have continued to search for better ways to bring to schools the joy, achievement, and passion that my colleagues and I had in Louisville, Kentucky for many years. My time at the J. Graham Brown School was stupendous and I give full credit not to me, not to my students, not to my administrators, and not to my colleagues, but to a total system that supported excellence for everyone. At the time, I was part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act, worked diligently to push writing for all youth through writing portfolios, and received tremendous support from the Louisville Writing Project. In my tenure as a teacher, I sought groups and organizations that supported knowledge, choice, reform, and a sense of social purpose. I looked for intelligent people doing brilliant things and I followed their lead. This, naturally, led me to the advocacy of the National Writing Project network.
Bring on politics. Bring on changes. Bring on new "reforms." And Bring on mistakes (the mistakes can be viewed here).
I left. As much of an education as I had, I still needed to learn more about how teachers could fight harder to do what they know is best practice: to have high standards, to respect ALL youth, to create curriculum with flexibility, to show tough love, to show compassion, to be highly qualified, to work hard, and to learn from their students and colleagues. When I personally felt that teachers in my building were losing support (and students were negatively affected by this), I applied to doctoral programs to find better ways to fight what was being done to public schools. I was fortunate to teach in a location where I had tremendous success. The school's unique mission, in fact, is what I continue to live by. When that mission (and its shared values) were ignored by leaders, though, my anger grew too large for my classroom. I didn't want my students and their families to see my frustrations. I chose to invest them in a Ph.D. program at Syracuse University. I am not sure I found what I was looking for there, but I know I am a better man from the stellar education I received.
Now, as a teacher of teachers and a supporter of colleagues in practice I continue the fight. I have a fortune to hear from educators in many districts and, inevitably, the demographics they serve. I can attest the following to be true of what I've heard across the nation: teachers have had it with the disrespect and top-down management style being thrown at them. They are tired of others coming into their classroom to tell them what needs to be done as they are provided less and less support and resources. They are fed up with living in a state of fear that has been caused by Draconian rules of bureaucrats forcing bad practice on them. And they're tired of not being able to teach because of such demands falling on them like bombs. They do not feel protected.
I am anti-strikes. I belonged to a union but never picketed. I HATE whining. I question unions because I've seen them defend horrible teachers, keep despicable practices in place, and protect those who don't want to work. Yet, in all the schools I've entered, there are only a handful of such pathetic teachers and for the most part, unions advocate for excellence in the classroom - EQUITY.
As a child, I used to love to pile things on top of each other. I wondered how high I could stack items before they would fall. My nephews find humor and joy in similar game-play today. Why? Inevitably the towers will collapse. The foundation can only take so much before it breaks.
Teachers can only take so much before they break and in Chicago, physically, and elsewhere, spiritually, the foundation is rocking. I'm all for greater demands. What has not coincided with them, however, are economical, emotional, social, and cultural support. Politicians want schools to heal social ills that our government has not. All one needs to do is drive the southern coast of Connecticut to see vast disparities of incomes and access. There I can rest my case. I'm sure similar disparities exist in Chicago where, depending on a zip code, a different education is provided.
Something has to change.
I, for one, went to the National Writing Project when I needed better solutions for my classroom. I continue to believe the model they advocate is superb. I want the Chicago teachers back in the classroom. I want Chicago youth to be successful and to find a trajectory that brings success and achievement to their lives in the United States. I want schools to be in session.
Yet, I also want Chicago teachers to stand strong. Why? Because I'm watching. My vote this fall will go to the candidates who brings the best education policies to their platforms. I'm listening and I'm going to be critical of the rhetoric. I will only stand for political leader(s) who listen to teachers, who listen to youth, and who work HARD to make changes for schools. More importantly, I will vote for any visionary who invests in education and doesn't just squawk empty promises. (You give me a candidate that will reinstate the NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT, for example, and I will declare a candidate for me).
So, Chicago...I'm watching. Many of us are watching. And I certainly hope for the best. You've got us talking (NY TIMES) and that is a first step.
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