This is going to be short and brief, as I have classes to teach, but I feel this is a really important issue and deserves attention and respect.
I came to this issue late. We have an educational association here in VA -- it's a right to work state, and to be honest I joined because I wanted the "strangle a kid" insurance (that's a joke!) and because I felt a vague sense of needing to support the local professional organization. It wasn't until last year that I really started paying attention to the education association and all that it tries to do for us. I made a commitment this year to getting involved and doing more, and it has paid off tremendously in my personal career.
I think that one of the biggest misconceptions of teacher's unions is that all they care about is pay, benefits, and protecting teachers who are about to get the axe. While I have certainly seen the local association talk about pay and benefits, I have never once seen them protect a teacher who didn't deserve it. But what has really struck me in the last year is all the work that the association does trying to make schools better.
After just a brief glance at the VEA's legislative agenda showed the following:
1. Virginia Preschool Initiative
2. Comprehensive School Reform
3. Enhanced Career and Technical Education (Fine Arts - STEM)
4. Increased teacher participation in instructional decisions
5. Dropout prevention
6. Class size reduction
7. Increased salaries for educational professionals and expanded existing scholarship loan programs
It's not about getting more money -- it's about reducing class size, making sure kids get the right start in preschool, and maintaining or expanding tech classes. More than that, the VEA provides training workshops for new teachers, guides for parents, forums for discussing educational issues and a powerful voice for teachers to speak about issues that matter to us as educational professionals. During this past year I have learned so much about being a good teacher from the other teachers in my school association. I have gotten more passionate about educational issues and speaking up for educational reform that makes sense and isn't based on a single day of high stakes multiple choice testing. I have been joined in that fight by members of the association -- teachers who all work together to make school a place where the best and brightest want to teach and all students come wanting to learn.
The VEA doesn't have all the powers of what is thought of as a union. We don't have collective bargaining, and the legislature can simply ignore us if they choose to. I am on my own when it comes to negotiating contracts. But I am proud to be a part of an organization that fights for teachers, fights for students, and fights for better schools. I cannot imagine choosing to not be a part of a traditional union if it was available, and I really cannot imagine being a part of union and not being active in it. I stand with the teachers in Wisconsin, and Texas, and Idaho, and everywhere else our profession is under attack.
Someone here used to have a signature that I feel sums it all up. It read: Those who can, do. Those who can do more, TEACH!
Have a wonderfuly day!