Karen Lewis: Social Justice Unionism IS Trade Unionism

[HiPointDem]

A lot of times if you talk to other members about a teacher who is being targeted by the administration, they’ll say, “Oh, that’s one of the crazies.” We tried to have our members embrace disaffected teachers rather than isolate them. --- Karen Lewis

Face it. We are not in the good old days where it was just about a contract. We are in a battle to defend the very concept of a union and along with it the entire fabric of public education. In some sense the idea of a contract that has been and continues to be shredded becomes somewhat secondary to the bigger battle where even with the best contract one might not find a public school left to work in. Really, does anyone really think we have a shot at stopping closing schools by short term court cases and by not organizing a massive response from the communities most impacted when schools close? Without the social justice angle --- go tell the community how they need to support tenure without showing how their kids are affected by ed deform policies --- we are slipping over the edu cliff.

http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/01/chicago-tu-social-justice-unionism-is.html

Lessons in Social Justice Unionism
An Interview with Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/27_02/27_02_sokolower.shtml

The interview is long, but worth the read. There's a lot of meat about organizing, strategy, community relations, relations with peers, and general movement-building.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. That interview is a must read.

She makes so many great points.

We have much to learn from Chicago. What an awesome example of solidarity.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Love the quote. I've seen this over and over.

It's a way people have of dealing w. anxiety. A defense mechanism if you will.

"Well, TEACHER X was __________ ( fill in the blank: crazy, lazy, stupid... etc). They'd NEVER do that to me."

Usually ornamented w. an anecdote ( out of context , of course) or two about TEACHER X's alleged craziness, laziness, etc.

He/she is gone eventually...usually via "voluntary" retirement or "voluntary" transfer.... admins move onto the next target.

("Well.... TEACHER Y was crazy.... etc.) And so on.

Which is not to say that there are *no* bad teachers. Rather: whether or not they are "bad" has nothing to do with why they are targeted.

*Nothing*.

[knitter4democracy]

3. It's like that in my school, too.

I keep being assured that nothing will happen to me, but I'm not that stupid. All it takes is the wrong parent saying the wrong thing to the wrong person on the wrong day, and then I have a huge target on my back. I'm also brilliant at saying the wrong thing to the wrong person myself, so there's that. I suck at politics.

Here's the thing: we're all targets. They just haven't gotten to each of us yet. The better answer is to all band together and work together for safety.

[duffyduff]

4. The fact is the principals have all the power and you as a teacher have none

The principals are invariably supported by the school district and thus taxpayers, while the teacher is basically on his or her own.

Principals are held to NO standards of accountability whatsoever. They are virtually impossible to fire, unlike teachers, who are easily removed in a variety of ways.

Every college of education needs to tell prospective teachers the truth; however, if they did, nobody but nepotisms would teach.

The "mental illness" card is widely used against teachers who are targeted, with the slander continuing into the kangaroo hearings, but it is almost always the principal who is unfit or is not all there mentally.

I want to point out while it is important for teachers to have unions, unions don't do enough or even anything for individual teachers, preferring to cut deals with the school districts.

[knitter4democracy]

5. Depends on the superintendent, I think.

Our new one has been doing massive shake-ups with the admins in the district, more so than she did with the teachers (we lost a couple after the year started--long story). She's blaming them for poor morale amongst the teachers and low test scores.

[duffyduff]

7. Too many superintendents look the other way

Principals are given a lot of leeway because they aren't closely supervised. Superintendents all too often just rubber stamp what a principal does to teachers.

[knitter4democracy]

8. Well, it's been that way until our new supt.

Our principal has outlasted 3 superintendents, and none of us understand how or why?

[Teamster Jeff]

6. I think Karen Lewis is correct

Unions can't just focus on existing contracts. They must reach out and win the public's support for Unionism in general. Also, organize, organize, organize.