Ever sat around the teacher’s lounge, an admin office in the afternoon, or with your educator colleagues on Friday with some adult beverages and said, “If I could change one thing about education it would be…” or “If I was making the laws, this is what would happen…”?
You are not alone. Many of the best educators I know have four or five legitimate ideas that they were in charge or making the laws, good things could happen. Fortunately for their students, but not for all of education, these great educators are in the classroom and only have so much influence. As one teacher, their voice is somewhat limited, but if these voices could unite, many politicians help run and fund our education system that should be on edge.
Teachers, administrators, other staff members of the school system, your combined voice has amazing potential. The problem with potential is that it is unused and not yet in action.
Dictionary.com defines potential as, “having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.” This means that potential has not been fulfilled, and it is still sitting there.
If educators around the nation and even in their own state could find a way to merge into one big voice, you would be looking at one of the largest and strongest voting blocks in history. What politician would want to say no to his constituents that they voted against something that could help teachers.
A final point before we move to the discussion: in Texas, where this author has over twenty years of education experience, teachers fall short of voting as a strong block, and if they ever did, it would be one of the most robust voting blocks around. There are over 1.9 million educators in the state of Texas, and the educator voting block proportionally is one of the smallest in the state.
So how can educators unite and make that voice stronger?
Working with Policymakers
First and most obvious, let your local politicians know who you are and what is happening in school buildings regarding educational issues. Let’s take a page from some of our most ‘involved’ parents. Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease and the attention. In our case, many of our state politicians have their political job and their regular job. As a proud partner of Raise Your Hand Texas, we have been able to go sit with our local politicians and discuss educational issues from vouchers to teacher salaries to safety. They told us they have not heard of many of the issues created by some of the current laws because educators have not told them. Many of these politicians don’t have the time to hear about all the issues…you can be that voice by simply every once in a while, dropping an email or call to your local or state representative.
Many of you have played Powerball and used the multiplier to make that win more powerful. Imagine if these representatives were to start getting more and more contacts from educators…the voice would multiply and seem larger.
A simple Google search of who represents you will lead you to many simple ways to find your representatives. Just letting your representatives know the reality of what is happening in the classrooms will raise much awareness for educational issues.
Supporting Teacher Unions
Being from Texas, I am not privy to the full power of a teacher union, but we will return to that in just a minute. In Texas strong teacher associations, such as the Texas State Teachers Association who are affiliated with the National Educators Association support teachers in two major ways. TSTA has paid lobbyists in the capital of Texas and on Capital Hill in Washington to make it easier for teachers to have a voice. Secondly, they provide legal services to teachers when they may need help. Legal services are expensive, and this gives access to teachers to important legal situations.
In the past few years in Texas, we have recently had more teachers moving in from California and some New England states where unions are strong. Our newest math teacher from California talks a lot about the union there that has helped protect teacher jobs, secure good salaries, and serve the number of teachers in his previous state.
Being involved in these organizations can create a safety net and level of support at the state level for your fellow educators.
Be Your Own Cheerleader
Lastly, the power of what you say and do locally will impact your community and your voice. A superintendent once made a lasting point with me and my staff one day when we were talking about a bond that was coming up.
Many of these bonds and issues are won in the simplest of places; in the grocery store, at the swimming pool, at local restaurants, just simply in the way educators talk about what is happening in the schools every day.
So, what is your narrative when people ask you about how things are going in the classroom? What will answer when you are asked the next time about what needs to change in education to make it better?
How you answer those questions to people in the community will impact how they talk about education. They will say things like, “I talked to two teachers the other day, and they said they needed…”
You have that power as an expert in education because you are doing it. Now, if as educators we can unite as one voice…our power would be difficult to stop!
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