Red for Ed

Red Like Courage

Leave a comment

Today, I joined 15,000 other teachers, administrators, counselors, community members, and students who flooded through downtown Indianapolis to fill the grounds of the statehouse. With friends, coworkers, and my dearest love by my side (himself a teacher of thirteen years), I donned my red, cheered, and marched to advocate for better conditions for public education, educators, and, most of all, students. For the 150 students that currently sit in my classroom day in and day out, the one young student who lives in my home and whom I call ‘daughter’, and all the other students who will pass through my classroom and those of other teachers over the years.

I know the narratives that are out there. I know what people often think of teachers. I know what is “expected” of us. I know what I do day in and day out. I know what I pour out and what I give. I know the prayers that I say over my classroom every morning. I know the students I gather into my arms when they come running. I know the hearts I am trying to help soften that souls I am trying to help grow. I know my standards; I know what I am supposed to teach. I also know what I have to teach, what my soul demands and what my vocation–what love–compels me to teach.

So, today I gathered, I showed my face, I used my teacher voice. I SHOWED UP. It was scary; it was encouraging; it was amazing; it was a first; and, if things do not improve, it will not be a last for me. I AM SO HERE FOR THIS! #redfored #youmademeusemyteachervoice #forourstudents

Advertisement

The Courage to Stand Up

Leave a comment

I did a thing today. A BIG thing! I put in for a personal day at work. Not just any personal day, however. I was a part of a concentrated effort of teachers in my corporation/union who all put in for personal days on Tuesday, November 19. It was to let our administration know that we all intend to attend and be a part of the Red for Ed Action Day and rally at our statehouse in Indianapolis. We all intend to let our legislators know that we protest that systematic destruction of public education.

I have rarely been one to make a racket, never having been one for public protests or crowds. I have often supported such movements in different ways. But this…this is my career. My day in and day out. These are my students we are talking about and the schools that serve, teach, and attempt to prepare them. So, on 11/19/19. I will screw up my courage, stand with hundreds of fellow educators, and fight for our students and their needs.

Provided by our union president, below is a short list of some of the actions being committed at the state level to public education:

1. The state requiring teachers to serve 15 hours in the business community in order to obtain/renew their teaching license.

2. Attempting to hold schools accountable for what students do AFTER they graduate. 

3. Different rules and accountability measures for private/ charter schools that make the latter “look” better.

4. The racist roots of vouchers that drain money from public schools and  “school’s choice” as the initial reaction to Brown v. Board of Education.

5. A Senate Chairman of the Education Committee who believes voucher money goes straight to parents and doesn’t return to public schools. This same senator did not know how much vouchers saw an increase in a budget he voted for, and the list goes on.