State of the Union March 2014
By our constitution I am obligated to report out on the state of our Union. In terms of our operations, services to members, solvency, activity in the community, and possible influence in our local and state affiliates, we would rate as strong. Our office works hard on matters concerning our members, processing retirements, resignations, leaves of absence, helping with tough medical claims, helping solve sticky situations, updating members on important activities, and living within our budget. We appoint members to serve on a variety of committees important for the functioning of our District, work closely with administration in various ways – always keeping our mission of improving teaching and learning as a priority. We successfully negotiated and ratified a contract before it expired – something that has not happened for a long time. So, I conclude that our Union is strong and sound. We have survived as a local for 70 years and that is something to celebrate.
There are other measures that are harder to gauge.
-How prepared are we for a right to work push? Right to work would hurt us most by having to redirect much of our effort to organizing and keeping members. We would probably have to cut services to a minimum and then might not be able to get by. Eventually it would kill the Union movement in our District and Ohio. We fought back Senate Bill 5, but I am not confident that the conservatives would make some of the same mistakes they made in the SB5 fight. If we polled our membership I am not confident that our members understand the ramifications of a Right to Work law. If I am correct, we are deep trouble.
-How many people are leaving (or entering) our professions? This year 18 members are retiring with 30 years or fewer – this number is higher than normal. For many teaching is a second profession and there is no reason to stay to 35 years. There will be other retirements. I predict that several other members will leave teaching altogether – there are certainly those who want to leave if they can afford it. Others will move to other districts if they can, but I imagine that the pastures are made greener using some of the same manure that we use here. Additionally, our district is trying to identify ways to save money as the state gives less aid. With the closing of Wiley we will probably have a smaller teaching force as the efficiencies of two middle schools kick in.
-How many members feel supported? Our members have had to adapt to so many changes all at once. Topping it off is the new evaluation system and all of the issues this has brought with it. Between subjectivity, inconsistencies in training and implementation, and the mess around student growth measures our members are completely flabbergasted. Add to this mix implementation of the Ohio Improvement Process and whatever other model is in your school. Let’s not forget the joy that is Common Core – everyone gets to completely change how they teach everything in a model that few people really understand. There is no way that our members could even have the support they need with all of these things going on at the same time no matter how many emails you get from our office or from administration about what is going on and how it is supposed to work. New things take a while to incorporate into regular practice. The biggest problem is that in our profession most people want to comply and succeed at their work. We want to be “accomplished” in everything we do in a system that accepts anything that is not “ineffective.” We are all having a hard time adjusting.
So, the Mental State of our Union is tenuous. Our morale depends on our support system in our own workplace and the relationships built there. In a building where members work closely and act like an extended family things are OK, but tough. In buildings where there is conflict either among members or with administration a lot of help is needed– probably more help than is available. I feel that some people are just holding on, hoping that the pendulum of ridiculous state mandates and unnecessary District initiatives will ease, making it more possible to do our primary job – that of creating an environment that helps kids grow and learn. Most of us are trying to make things work – knowing that it will take a while to get things right, but appreciative that in some of these changes we are allowed to take things slowly. Unfortunately, I also believe that most people also fall into the category of the frog that is in a pot of water over a flame. By the time the frog realizes that it is being boiled to death it is too late. Many of our members do not realize that their activism is important now – before being boiled by initiatives, over-testing, state initiatives, and state laws that are being put into place to kill our profession and suck all of the dollars away from public education.
Contributing to COPE is a great start – over half our members contribute, which is fantastic. In fact, tonight we would like to recognize three schools that have done amazing jobs organizing members in their buildings.
Fairfax – over 90% of the members in the building contribute to COPE every pay. Many people were approached by one member in particular; who made it her mission to make sure everyone was on board. Kim Whalen.
Oxford – over 80%
Rox MS – 79% participation
We also need members educating their neighbors, friends at church, and at your kid’s baseball games about what is happening to public education and what is going on in your classroom. Getting involved in groups like our new Heights Coalition for Public Education or the Northeast Ohio Friends of Public Education or other groups seems like just another distraction to grading your latest common assessment or completing an IEP over the weekend. We have arrived in a new age of activism where we need to be part of groups of community members who are trying to understand and do something to help change education policy. No one went into education so they could be part of the political system, unfortunately, now more than ever public education is being threatened and we need to mobilize everyone so that they understand what is at stake. My belief is that without public education we cannot have whatever is left of democracy . If you agree with me, decide and commit to what you are going to do to ensure the survival and betterment of public education. Answer the call to be a building rep, participate in a community action protesting excessive testing, lobby your state representative by calling, emailing or writing next time a bill that will harm children is introduced, form a book group to discuss Reign of Error, but most importantly – support your colleagues as we all weather this storm and help push the pendulum back to a time of reason.