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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStanding in the shadows of giants. My thoughts of speaking at the Lincoln Memorial.
Last edited Sat Jul 2, 2016, 09:34 PM - Edit history (1)
I would like to share my story with DU.
I do not take my rights of free speech for granted. I realize, probably more than most, how dear those rights are and how desperate some are to steal them away. In 2014 I was named Oregons Teacher of the Year. Not only was I the first special education teacher to win this award, it also meant I became one of only a handful of openly gay educators to be recognized on the national level.
I thought this would be a chance to support LGBTQ kids in a unique way but my district had different ideas. I was ordered not to say I was gay in public ("someone is going to shoot you in the head if you keep saying you are gay" and ordered not to meet with gay high school students because meeting with those students has no value to the district. I was also ordered that all speech had to be approved in advance, all writing would be submitted to the district for approval and I must bring personal mail from home to be opened and read. I refused and I was bullied, harassed, blackmailed, fired and then dragged through the gutter by a district bent on destroying a gay teacher that dared to stand up to them.
On May 1, 2014 I was honored with 52 other Teachers of the Year at the Whitehouse by President Obama. I was under an order that if I said I was gay I would be fired. Following the ceremony the International Press Corps asked the teachers if they would like to make a statement. I stood there in despair. To say nothing meant i could keep my job. To stand up meant I was declaring war. To say nothing meant turning my back on LGBTQ youth. I stepped to the microphone and started swinging. I chose to go to war against a deep-pocketed district with no moral compass and a history of crushing anyone who even remotely stood up to them.
Instead of being crushed I fought like a bear. The Union charged in the fight behind me and outmaneuvered my districts three sets of lawyers. When the district said I could not meet with the Gay Straight Alliance I took a personal day and went. When they told me I could not submit an essay to Kevin Jennings for his book One In Ten Teachers in the New Millennium I sent it anyway. I refused to submit and filed state and federal complaints.
And when I was put on leave and fired it became clear that everything was worth it.
You see, I had a reason for being out. When I was fifteen my best friend told me he was done with girls, knew they werent for him, went home, and killed himself. My best friend was so frightened to be gay that he thought a shotgun in his mouth was a better alternative. An openly gay Teacher of the Year would send a big message to young people like my friend. I knew I could save some lives. But only if I was out and my district was trying to stop that.
When I was put on leave my story went around the globe. And on a day when I should have been feeling pretty miserable I saw the Nigeria Times. In Nigeria they are executing gay people but on that day the Nigeria Times had a picture of my husband and I riding in the Rose Festival Paradethe first gay couple to do so. They also had a photo of us in suits at the Capitol Building following a meeting with Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden. It was miscaptioned as our wedding, but the message was clear to every gay person or their allies in Nigeria that day. There is reason to hope and a place where gay people are accepted and celebrated. The story ran around Africa, Singapore, Europe, the US and was even picked up by Russian Radio. I say it was all worth it because how could one gay teacher ever, EVER hope to have such an impact? Every gay person who saw my story saw that someone was fighting really hard for gay youth. They saw, that as my district said meeting with those students has no value to the district, that I was making sure that those kids saw they were worth EVERYTHING. Even when the district fired the superintendent and offered me a settlement with a gag order, I told them they would never control a single world out of my mouth and fought on.
In my wake I left a fired superintendent, the head of HR and legal council forced out (bought off as a board member described it to me), the head of special education reprimanded and demoted, the head of my department reprimanded with hours cut, my supervisor fired and two more supervisors reprimanded and my district now has four new school board members since my firing. The state investigation showed substantial bullying, harassment and my firing violated state and federal labor laws. The district also attempted what I call blackmail but the real legal term is coercion of a state employee when they, in writing, told the union they would let me go to Washington DC to pick up a national teaching award if I took back my state and federal complaints against them.
And each step of the way a new friend stepped forward. The Bad Ass Teachers Association called my district en masse and stopped the board meeting where I was to be fired a second time. The same week I was fired the NEA LGBTQ Caucus gave me their Teacher Role Model award. Leaving my class broke my heart, these friends who stood behind me did a lot to heal that break.
I shake my head in wonder how in two years a man can go from a nobody teacher in a basement special ed classroom, to Teacher of the Year honored at the Whitehouse to being fired, unfired, dragged through the mud and a media firestorm only to come out of it only slightly bruised standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
This Friday I will be standing in the shadows of giants as I give a speech for the rights of LGBTQ youth and teachers at the Lincoln Memorial at the Save Our Schools Rally. I am humbled and honored to speak in such an honored place of this.
And as I stand on those hallowed steps where others have spoken of their dreams, I will be awed by the crowd and the place and the moment. And then I will step up to the microphone and do what I have been doing all along. Im going to show LGBTQ youth that they need to hang in there and keep fighting. They are not alone! They have a future! They can be a teacher. They can be a Teacher of the Year or they can just be.
Brett Bigham
2014 Oregon State Teacher of the Year
2015 NEA National Award for Teaching Excellence
2015 NEA Global Fellow
2015 NEA LGBTQ Caucus Teacher Role Model Award
2013 NASET Outstanding Special Education Teacher of the Year
Husband
http://www.mrbsclassroom.com/uncategorized/standing-in-the-shadows-of-giants-my-thoughts-on-speaking-at-the-lincoln-memorial/
PJMcK
(22,031 posts)That is an incredible story! Congratulations on the wonderful recognition that you so clearly deserve. You are a man with a spine of titanium and a heart of gold and I've already shared your post with my friends and colleagues. In the best sense of the phrase, you are a genuine American patriot. And obviously a fantastic teacher.
Pardon me but it wasn't clear if your speech was yesterday, July 1st or next week. I hope it went/goes well!
Thank you for the kind words. It has been a very interesting experience, to say the least. But I put the students first, just like pretty much every good teacher I know!
PJMcK
(22,031 posts)This is one of those unique and tremendous moments in a life time and I'm certain you'll be an inspiration to your audience.
In my family, we have had quite a few teachers. My grandmother was a music teacher, my grandfather a dental instructor and my aunt was a special ed teacher early in the history of the acceptance of that particular need. My brother teaches high school English, my niece is a first grade teacher and I've taught a little in high schools and somewhat more at the collegiate level. Teachers are so important to the success of a society. Democracy fails if the voters don't have critical thinking skills. An ignorant populace is easily swayed by a charismatic leader, (sound familiar?). This is why the classic civilizations of Greece and Rome valued what we call a Liberal Arts curriculum. It provides the broadest perspective of the world and develops a curiosity of the mind.
Will your speech at the Lincoln Memorial be based on your essay? It's so powerful and honest that I'm certain you'll express yourself effectively and passionately. If I may offer a small suggestion, perhaps you could add a sentence or two about your students and your experiences teaching them. It's clear that you love your work, your students and their well-being and this small addition could punch up your commitment to them as having been the driving force behind your actions and principles.
Good luck and thank you for your story and fighting the good fight!
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Many thanks to your teacher-filled family! Thank you for the insight. I struggle because my students were young adults with special needs but my fight came about because I was supporting LGBTQ youth outside my classroom. My own students struggle is very different. Usually I speak about bullying and ways to stop it. In that way I can support both groups of students without mixing their individual needs too much.
I still choke up when I discuss my students and my complaints were only filed after I felt the district was putting my students health and safety in danger. (I taught medically fragile students and my supervisor had my desk and computer packed while I was gone, and then told me I would no longer be allowed in my room during my prep, planning and breaks and that my desk would be I. The opposite end of the empty floor, down a long hallway where no one could get to me. We were the only class in the building, we cooked our own food (after complaining about food quality) and there were no other teachers in case of emergency. I refused to leave my medically fragile kids without a teacher in the room for that much of the day.
PJMcK
(22,031 posts)The distinction of your support for kids outside of your classroom eluded me in your essay. My mistake.
Nonetheless, this is a special time for you. And, by the way, your post titled "It Was At This Moment Democracy Died" was a terrific riff on the classic tale.
I took a pretty long break from writing...too much going on, too much of the media cherry-picking one comment and making that the story. Feels good to be in charge of your own life and taking the time to use my own words and my own experience as I see them.
underpants
(182,769 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)(I couldn't resist a little underpants humor)
PJMcK
(22,031 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Hoppy
(3,595 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Hoppy
(3,595 posts)Begin by researching contributors to Mother Jones, N.Y.Times Sunday mag., Atlantic Monthly and Rolling Stone. Expand on this original post and email copies to several of those contributors.
There was a movie about 10 years ago about an old guy from Iowa who bought a driving lawn mover and rode it 400 miles across Iowa to see his dying brother. Inspiration came from an article in the N.Y. Times.
And/or Contact a few publishers and ask if they can suggest ghost writers or co-authors.
And/or I may be able to get contact information for the woman whose female partner came down with terminal cancer and the Ocean County Board of Freeloaders refused to allow her to collect on the retirement benefits. This also became a movie.
MOST IMPORTANT: On Friday, be sure you have people with GOOD cameras and knowledge of how to use them to record your presentation at the Lincoln Memorial. It needs to be a camera with a tripod, not a cell phone camera --- too jumpy.
What time is your speech?
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)There is a Jumbotron so it is being filmed...but I,was joking about the movie!
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)babylonsister
(171,056 posts)I salute you! May I share this, because the more eyes who see this, the better it could be.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)I probably picked a terrible weekend to post it, DU is very sleepy today!
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Lisa0825
(14,487 posts)The world could use more people like you!!!
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)calimary
(81,220 posts)ALL the barriers need to come down. ALL the ceilings need to be punched through.
EVERYONE needs to be able to see a little bit of themselves in the Oval Office. We've finally made that a reality for all African American children out there, from now on. This November, it could indeed finally become a reality for all little girls, as well. Why not for gay youth, too? Why shouldn't one be able to use one's gifts to the fullest, regardless who they are? Isn't that what this country is really supposed to be all about?
DAYUM, DonRedwood! This is a story of true courage and heroism. Thank you so much for sharing it here! It's incredibly inspirational!
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Thanks for the kind words too!
And all these years later I still chuckle and read your name as calimari.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)This Friday I will be standing in the shadows of giants as I give a speech for the rights of LGBTQ youth and teachers at the Lincoln Memorial at the Save Our Schools Rally. I am humbled and honored to speak in such an honored place of this.
As much as I appreciate the rest of your message...
Perhaps you can say something to parents like me about the students who stayed behind in that basement.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)I still have a hard time thinking about that...and an even worse time speaking about it. in an above comment you will see that my state and federal complaints came after the district started putting my kids at risk. Until then it was a personal battle going on behind closed doors.
My supervisor was having her wine-of-the-month club delivered to the room next door to my classroom. When she ordered me to have my students start cleaning her office I pointed to her wine box and refused to "have my students around liquor." I was then given an order by the superintendent to go to counseling for lying. The lie she was referring to was that I called the wine "liquor" and since wine is not distilled I was lying to get my supervisor in trouble. The depth of my support of my students knew no bounds. It broke my heart to leave them, but I left them with my five assistants and a nurse who loved them as much as I did.
I was asked to speak on the subject of what happened to me for being gay and for standing up for LGBTQ youth. That is why this essay centers on that side of things but I promise you I never stop advocating for people with special needs. If you go to my blog you'll see a series of free books that help people with autism get out in the world. That's what I spend most of my free time on!
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 3, 2016, 12:33 PM - Edit history (1)
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Sadly, the district stopped me doing events that supported students in special education and then all the publicity focused on everything BUT people with special needs. It meant a lot that after 53 years the state finally recognized someone who taught special Ed. what my district did was take the attention away from all those kids. .
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)I miss my basement and my kiddos.
struggle4progress
(118,278 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)It is an honor, sir.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)I know my story ran on here --or at least links to some of the stories. Last I looked at Wikipedia they had over 100 articles linked so I've lost track of who all carried the story. It is strange to have so many know your business, but in the end, good is coming from it.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Still subscribe to the Oregonian, although at this point I'm not entirely sure why.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)They teased me I was lining their bird cage!
Buzz cook
(2,471 posts)I thought for sure it would be one of the conservative Eastern cities or maybe a rich suburb.
Portland is one of the most liberal places I know, I'm deeply disappointed.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)But her behavior broke so many laws the district decided,to cover for her, then cover it up and fire me instead.
But it only takes one bigot to get it started
rjsquirrel
(4,762 posts)I could only wish my kids had you for a teacher.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Odin2005
(53,521 posts)Though I am shocked a Portland area school could be so reactionary!
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)It was no fun but in the end I came through all right.
That link will take you to my blog where I put my supports for people with autism. I had students who needed to know, in detail, where we were going on field trips...now I make them everywhere I travel.
Heidi
(58,237 posts)Kick, kick, kick!