I was exhausted at the end
of this past week. It hit me when I
realized that I thought an 8:20 PM start for the Wisconsin Badgers' NCAA
tournament game sounded like it was pretty late. I joked with some colleagues that 8:20 used
to be when we started thinking about what to do on a Friday night, but now I
wasn't sure if I'd make it to the end of the game (I did by the way, watching
them win their opening round game easily).
There are many reasons why my fellow educators and I were so tired this
week. Maybe I'm not as young as I used
to be, maybe it was the conferences that went until 8 PM the night before
(after teaching all morning) and the two long evening meetings early in the
week, maybe it was the energy level of our students who enjoyed nicer weather
and are anticipating their upcoming Spring Break.
All of those are valid
reasons for feeling mentally and physically tired, but we can't discount the
reality that public educators and others working to drive a social justice
agenda here in Wisconsin
are facing attacks on so many levels that it can seem overwhelming at
times. After all, this isn't my first
year of teaching and I've been through virtually every scenario imaginable in
my nearly two decades as a public educator.
Yet, it feels different in recent years.
That enthusiasm that educators have for education and their students is
still very much alive, but the undercurrent of frustration, anxiety and even
despair is slowly moving towards the surface.
This is true for public
educators because our work is so interconnected with the lives of our students,
the health of our community and the social, political and economic climate that
our schools are embedded in. Being a
public educator is so much more than standing in front of a classroom and
sharing our knowledge and wisdom with students.
We find ourselves helping families with housing and medical care. We find ourselves counseling students through
traumas. We find ourselves torn and
uncertain in the face of issues that have no easy resolution and try to find
our way towards social justice as best we can.
We find ourselves becoming part of a system that, more and more, seems
to be moving away from the values that we entered our profession
espousing.
To give an idea of what
educators in Wisconsin
are concerned about and some of the challenges we face here are some thoughts
on multiple topics as we enter the last week before Spring
Break. . .
Politics matter in our lives- We've learned the hard way that the policies and
legislation enacted have a significant impact on our lives and the lives of the
families we work with. The efforts to
seize and maintain political power have adversely impacted our entire system of
public education by significantly weakening the ability of educators to
advocate for their students and families.
There's a medium sized town in Wisconsin home to a boy named Tim. Calling
Tim a "boy" might be a stretch since, at only seventeen, he moves
about in what's clearly a man's body. He's six and a half feet tall; a mean,
lean two hundred and thirty pounds; and fully capable of bench pressing . . .
wel…
open.salon.com
This
silencing of educators and the impact that it has on education policies has
been noted by those who seek to profit from our schools and students. They are using pro-student rhetoric to gain
power, but they use that power to enact anti-student policy.
Michelle Rhee's group is sneakily trying to rebrand itself
to advance its anti-union agenda.
alternet.org
Ideological inconsistencies are hard to combat- It is painful to watch our state's governor go
around the nation touting his self-defined "successes" that are built
on the backs of the citizens he was elected to represent. While I disagree with Walker's
social, political and economic ideology, I would still feel obligated to accept some of
its merits if it truly worked for the citizens of Wisconsin. Yet, the evidence seems clear, most of us are
being hurt by the recent policies enacted by Walker and the Republican lead
legislature.
Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) is a conservative hero with a
record of taking progressives and unions in a state that went for Obama and
beating them twice....
nationalmemo.com
Wisconsin
gained 27,491 private-sector jobs in the 12 months from September 2013 through
September 2014, a 1.16% increase, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
jsonline.com|By John Schmid
The inconsistencies that
abound in this recent administration make us wonder why there are those who
still "stand with Walker." There is the myth of transparency and honest
government.
Scott Walker is traveling the country portraying himself as
a straight shooter. "We said what we're gonna do, and we did it!" he
told CPAC delegates in D.C. last...
prwatch.org
Another example is the
illusion of economic conservatism that is really just a redistribution of
wealth upwards.
An analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau
finds that Gov. Scott Walker’s budget would...
wisconsingazette.com
As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tours the country touting his
conservative credentials while gearing up for an expected run for president,
there’s a conservative question that’s nagging back home.
chippewa.com|By Herald editorial
board
In the end, it seems like we are not involved in an ideological conflict
between Conservatism and Progressivism, but rather a struggle to expose an
agenda that is much more self-serving and in the long run, harmful to our
state. We can engage in political
discourse and heated debate, but we find it difficult to dispute a political
platform that changes on a regular basis to fit specific political needs.
Nationally syndicated conservative columnist Michelle
Malkin, founder of the website Twitchy, tells Breitbart News that Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker—a...
breitbart.com
Economics impact every aspect of our society- Money and wealth could be a driving force for
positive change in America,
but instead the drive to amass huge fortunes is harming all of us. This impact appears in education where
individuals and companies are using the current climate to profit from our
schools or to promote a political agenda.
Controversy around Common Core hasn't stopped companies like
Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Apple from cashing in on huge education contracts.
cnbc.com|By Lawrence Delevingne
Milwaukee Public Schools is facing a cut of at least $12
million as a result of that move, but plenty of well-to-do suburban districts
are acknowledging gaping budget holes, as well.
jsonline.com|By Patrick Leary
Who knew that being a billionaire would enable you and your
family to buy an entire school district and even the state board of education?
It isn't that difficult, if you have enough money. Do we l...
dianeravitch.net
It is visible in our
politics where we see a small number of people with a disproportionate ability
to impact policies and decision making.
Only some of the money, the amount of which is nearly double
what the Kochs spent on 2012 elections, would come from the brothers themselves
theguardian.com|By Amanda Holpuch
We see it impacting those
who are most at risk and who rely on sound public policy to stay afloat.
Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget would totally dismantle
one of the best long-term care systems in the country.
jsonline.com|By Tom Frazier And Lynn
Breedlove
Inequities of all types are destructive to democracy- Our nation is facing some of the biggest gaps we've
ever experienced in virtually every possible category. Race and gender inequities are highly
visible, but at the same time we are seeing the splits between any number of
different groups expand. A small number
of individuals are benefiting from the direction we are headed, but the end
result will be painful for everyone.
History shows us repeatedly that inequity breeds discontent, struggle
and strife.
A new report comparing Wall Street bonuses to minimum wage
earnings sums up income inequality in America.
motherjones.com
Yet again, conservatives on the Supreme Court are poised
to do significant damage to minority communities
salon.com
Educators see these inequities on a
daily basis as we struggle to advocate for our students in a system that seems
to be designed to magnify gaps.
Principal:
How Common Core testing hurts disadvantaged students
The third in a series of letters between two principals --
one who likes the Common Core and the other who doesn't.
washingtonpost.com
We need accountability, but it needs to be valid and meaningful- Educators are no strangers to the word accountability, it has been used
to attack educators on a regular basis.
The illusion that we haven't been accountable is one that opponents of
public schools love to use, yet educators have always worked hard to meet the
needs of their students. We are facing a
future where our efforts are measured in ways that are unfair, inequitable and
unjust. It is difficult to hear your
efforts maligned while knowing that the "facts" being used against
you are inaccurate and misleading.
Schools with more economic, racial diversity tend to score
worse on School Report Cards.
postcrescent.com
We should also be holding those who
profit from our schools accountable for their actions.
Pearson, the education publishing giant, describes its
practice of monitoring social media posts as a test-security measure, but some
parents say the...
mobile.nytimes.com|By Natasha
Singer
A real dialog about accountability
needs to happen.
The goal of K-12 education is to prepare students for
their future.
postcrescent.com
Take the example of student
discipline. Data shows that a
disproportionate number of minority students are disciplined severely. The end result is a radical change in policy
that may not be effective in addressing the underlying concerns that
exist. Instead of removing consequences
and weakening the authority of educators we need to work to address the root causes
of the behaviors that impact the learning of all students. Fully funding and supporting policies that
are aimed at educating student proactively and that are restorative in nature
will have an impact, without significant supports we will be left worse off
than when we started our efforts.
New York public-school students caught
stealing, doing drugs or even attacking someone can avoid suspension under new
“progressive” discipline rules...
nypost.com
One option is to reduce the pressure
of standards and assessments and let students explore the world around them in
a meaningful and positive way.
New research suggests that exposure to nature makes us
more cooperative.
washingtonpost.com
So, what happens now?- It sure does feel
bleak and appears that it might be easier to simply put our heads down and toil
on. Yet, we know that the struggle is
worthwhile and that there is hope for the future. The problem may not be our opponents and
those who manipulate the system for their own ends, but rather it may be that
sense of hopelessness and a feeling that we can't succeed in our efforts to
resist this divisive and negative agenda.
People need to see the possibilities of what we can accomplish when
working together. We need to break down
the barriers that have been erected to keep a flawed system in place and work
collectively to move our society in a more united and positive direction. It has been done before, and we certainly can
do it again. It starts by getting
involved in the processes that exist, and continues as we forge new pathways
and alliances that serve to promote true "liberty and justice for
all."
