Are unions perfect? No. Ask anyone in one.
But it comes down to this: Do you believe that people have the right to a say in their own workplace?
If you do, do you believe that their voice will be stronger collectively or alone?
If you believe that teachers have more ability to have a say in their schools collectively than alone, then you believe in unions. Whatever frustrations, whatever issues, whatever problems you have with the manner in which a specific union may or may not have acted, so be it. You believe in unions.
We should have a great debate in this country about what teaching and learning looks like. Part of that debate should be about what the role of teacher looks like and how that life is sustainable, livable and just. The teachers unions will be at the table for that conversation. They should be. They need to be.
In our schools, it is very easy to run roughshod over the rights of adults. Its for the children youre for the children, arent you? Its an easy sell, and it tugs at the heartstrings of all but the most hardened of hearts. But its too often a cheap line, and too many people have used it to push teachers too far, burn them out, abuse their compassion and care.
Teachers unions make sure that individual teachers dont have to do that every day. They remind administrators that there are limits. And they remind administrators that for teachers do be able to do this job, day in and day out, year after year, teachers need to be taken care of as well.
And they remind politicians, as unions always have, that a fair days work is worth a fair days wage. And that contracts are not just platitudes, but binding documents.
And they remind all of us that those on the front line of the teaching profession have a right to a say in their working life. And that teacher voice is an important – in fact essential – piece of how we will make our schools better more humane places for students, teachers and even (heaven forbid) principals.
And teachers unions remind us that when you say, We love teachers the good ones you demean the profession, and you demean the hard work that millions of teachers do across America every day.
Unions remind us that whatever those who are recent to the struggle of educating a nation may have some good ideas, but that they must work in concert with the teachers, not against us. Because in the end, they are our schools as much as they are our childrens schools. Our work, our passion, our energy, our lives are in the classroom walls. And we have every bit as much of a right to a say in how our schools will evolve as those who would take our voice from us.
So because unions fundamentally fight for teachers rights to have a say in what a democratic education in America looks like, I stand with teachers unions.
[This post is part of the #EduSolidarity postings, started by Stephen Lazar and supported by an incredible group of teachers.]