It's Time to Fight Back

Welcome to my post that is probably going to royally tick someone off, but I have got to get it out of my system.

I am sick and tired of everyone picking on teachers and our education associations (aka unions)! 


Across this country right now there is a mass movement to bring down teachers and affiliates of the National Education Association. What is worse is that these legislators are toting these attacks as "education reform." Most of the bills they are presenting are aimed at destroying these states' education associations.

This week I sat and watched a Senate Education Committee meeting here in my homestate. I was appalled as I continually heard the senator sponsoring the bill kept referring to the education association as the big-bad union. It was all I could do not to jump out of my seat and scream at the top of my lungs. All I kept hearing was that the education association was nothing more than a bunch of ultra-liberals who deserved to be kicked out and destroyed.

During the discussion amongst the senators on the committee, they kept asking "what do the real teachers say?" I wanted to stand up and say "I am a member of the education association and I am a real teacher. Furthermore, according to my students' performance on your blessed mandated state tests, I am a darned excellent one too!"

I was frustrated beyond belief that these legislators think the education association is nothing more than a bunch of liberal union officials who have no focus on student well-being. Give it a rest! Our associations are composed of teachers and support staff whose sole purpose is the well-being of our students. Believe me...I don't do it for the money! I teach because I care for those kids and where they go in life. I happen to be a member of an education association whose purpose is to protect our students, our schools, and our teaching professionals.

I am also sick of people's misconceptions of tenure. Every time there is a discussion about tenure, these people make reference to a "lifetime guarantee" of a job. Get your facts straight! Tenure is only a guarantee of due process in the event of being let go from my job. If I am let go as a tenured teacher, I have the right to a review by an impartial judge. Having tenure does not mean I have my job for life. Believe me, in my school system, if you are not making the gains with your kids you will be let go! Honestly, take my tenure...I don't care! I am going to kick butt at my job and teach my kids like I always have...and THEY WILL SUCCEED!

Why am I on my blog complaining about all of this now? I have been watching the events in Wisconsin this week. If I wasn't teaching this week, I would have been right there with my brothers and sisters in education. The Wisconsin teachers, and their education association, are under attack! What I found amazing was that the police, firefighters, parents, and students were all joining the teachers in Wisconsin as they converged on the capital. It is not over yet, and I don't know what will happen there.

The scary part is that much of the harmful legislation being proposed in Wisconsin is also being presented here in Tennessee. We are next on the list. I have been working my butt off keeping my teachers informed of all the legislation being proposed in Nashville. Today there are at least 26 "education reform" bills in the senate that would be taking steps backward in education. A number of the bills are aimed at taking down the state education association. I am not making accusations here. The Lieutenant Governor told a group of people (myself included) that he will work this year to take down the association!

What happened to professional courtesy in this world? How about "do unto others...?"

Well, it seems that we no longer have a choice. We are going to gather and converge on our state capital in two weeks. March 5 will be the day we assemble at our state capital in Nashville to let our legislators know that they are making the wrong choices in education reform. We will let them know we will no longer stand by while they try to silence our teachers!

Look out, Nashville, here we come!