How can Teachers' Unions Help You?

Equity in Schools

The subject of “equity in education” has been one of the hottest topics inside and outside the schoolhouse walls this year.  In our pursuit to create K-12 education systems that service all students, we must develop an educational experience based on access without denying identity. This means that no matter what our students' backgrounds, language, race, economic profile, gender, learning capability, disability or family history, we must create for each one of them the opportunity to get the support and resources they need to achieve their educational goals. How can our teachers, already stretched thin, accomplish this? We get into it with our guests: Dr. Ayanna Cooper is The Director of Multilingual Learners at Achievement Network.  Achievement Network is a nonprofit organization here in Boston, providing education leadership coaching, assessment and data tools to K-12 schools. Ayanna is also the author of two books: And Justice for ELs and Black Immigrants in the United States Essays on the Politics of Race, Language, and Voice. She is a contributor to Language Magazine and teaches at Howard University. Ayanna is also a Massachusetts Education Policy Fellow at The Rennie Center. Dr. Nicole Semas-Schneeweis is the Director of Equity for the Whitman Hanson Regional School District. A veteran special education teacher, Nikki is an experienced curriculum expert and also a Fellow at The Rennie Center in Boston. She is an expert on equity and inclusive practices in public education. Her doctoral dissertation at UMass Dartmouth used narrative analysis as a method of exploring the potential for a “new centering” of discussions regarding equity and access in schools.

How can Teachers' Unions Help You?

In the US, students who live in states with high unionization levels, such as Massachusetts, Maryland and New York, tend to perform better than those living in states like Louisiana or Mississippi where unionization is lower. The Washington Post reports that the states in the US with the least unionization are also the ones with the lowest levels of student performance. In a recent Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans approve of labor unions, which is the highest approval rating for unions since 1965. In the past six months, teachers in Brookline, Haverhill, Malden and Middleton have gone on strike, incurring huge fines and drawing the ire of their communities. Now, South Hadley is working to rule as well. Is this more union activism than we usually see in this state?  And, with The Boston Public Schools having over 200 unfilled positions, is the teacher shortage, has the teacher shortage tipped the balance in favor of unions? To answer these questions and more, we called on union veteran, Bernadette Murphy. Bernadette, a veteran K-12 teacher working for the Sharon Public Schools here in Massachusetts. She was The Sharon Teacher’s Association’s President for seven years. And, is still active in Sharon’s Union and is active in unions at the state level.

Asking for and getting what you want

Back in January 2014, This American Life broadcasted a episode of their program where a reporter went to several stores, making purchases asking for a “good guy discount.” The goal was to test how easy it is to receive discounts from strangers. Most of his attempts did not work. And, if most of us tied this, we would likely have a similar result. This is why we don't often ask for what we need or want. But, there was another person on that show who asked and did receive what he wanted. What was his secret? Most of us have a baked in fear of rejection that prevents us from even trying. That This American Life episode analyzed why the WAY we ask matters. And, why what we believe about asking matters.  Teachers are even less apt to ask, because they are so often old no. But, is there another reason, too? Is it possible if teachers asked differently, they might have a better shot? Probably.  If we do not accept that rejection is inevitable, we are less likely to fear it, and more likely to get what we want . Is it possible that our fears about asking and rejection are unfounded, and less real than our instincts lead us to believe?

TeacherTalk S3E6 My Boss is a Bully

According to researcher, Dr. Deidra Alexander Sorrell, the bullying of teachers takes many forms, ranging from unfair evaluation practices to pitting students and other teachers against the teacher the bully wants to target. She found that what was common among all of the different examples of bullying she studied was the intent of bullies to wear down their victims psychologically.  Often these bully's goal is to encourage the teacher to leave the district.  For those considering careers in teaching, this research is very disheartening.  Journal of Bullying and Social Aggression Volume 1, Number 2, 2015 According to Dr. Antonio Ariza-Montes, Dr. Noel M. Muniz R., Dr. Antonio L. Leal-Rodrı ́guez and Dr. Antonio G. Leal-Milla ́n, PhD, the victims of workplace bullying  in education suffer from: depression;  anxiety,  fear  or  even  panic-attacks, when going to work on a daily basis. Their stress and  even suicidal  thoughts  or  acts prevent them from being good teachers. These severe negative consequences that workplace bullying has on the mental  health of teachers who are responsible for providing educational services to children, is a problem that affects them and the schools where they work.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Ariza-Montes, A. , Muniz R., N. M. , Leal-Rodríguez, A. L. & Leal-Millán, A. G. (2016). Workplace Bullying Among Teachers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 58 (8), 818-827.

S3 E5 Setting Boundaries

According to the Learning Policy Institute and the National Center for Education Statistics, 55% of teachers who leave say that the reason they are leaving is because they are pressured to do more work than they are paid for. What can we do about this?