The Politics of Education
By Ari Kaufman (10/12/07)
I spent Labor Day Weekend in majestic northwestern Michigan with family friends who have "summered" in the bucolic area for decades. The gentlemen whose house we stayed at, a retired distinguished professor of Chemistry at a local university, regaled my fiancee and me with many historic stories of the area as well as his life, including 29-year teaching career.
He had read my recent educational reform book and was trying to conjure up his review for Amazon. Always the thinker, he wanted his insight to be perfect, thus had been contemplating not just his views but also his recommendations for some time now. After all, an analysis with proposed solutions, no matter how effective, is always better than a simple a critique.
My friend clearly wanted to implore me to focus future commentaries on the dysfunctional teacher preparation programs that post-grads must go through for multiple years before stepping foot into a classroom. He knew about the dozens of completely irrelevant classes I had spent semesters taking (Urban Studies, Chicano Studies, African American Studies, Kinesiology, ad infinitum), and that few of them improved my teaching ability once I began.
He then mused that the most essential class to offer, considering the how I was driven away from education at too young an age, would be "The Politics of Education." He was not talking liberal vs. conservative, but rather a "primer" on what new teachers can expect from the non-classroom world of education, so that they are not overwhelmed and discouraged like I was.
It's undeniably true that many young teachers become overworked via their students' and parents' needs, and are thus apathetic to ancillary issues such as public education's socialist salary structure, rapid tenure, opposition to school choice and, of course, union influence. But it is a serious shame that so many educators don't witness the complete theft of their money and autonomy that occurs every week in their world, especially in the LAUSD.
While some may be thankful to accrue tenure so soon---day one of year three in LA--- others, such as myself, may be forthright and admit it's far too soon for infinite job security and all that entails. Still others may become frustrated at seeing the lazy, oft-absent veteran next door taking home twice the money each paycheck. Moreover, most would surely be apoplectic to know the $61 UTLA pilfers from their monthly intake goes mostly to political crusades.
Surely conservative teachers, upwards of 40% in some surveys, may be peeved that 99% of UTLA's funds go to the Democrat party. Jewish teachers, a higher percentage in Los Angeles than anywhere outside of New York City, would likely be mortified that UTLA walks hand in hand at anti-war marches with pro-terrorist, anti-Israeli groups like International Answer, United for Peace and Justice and dozens of others. Those who are anti-abortion, oppose gay marriage or support the military would be just in their rage that UTLA supports causes that are antithetical to all of those views and entities. {It's unfortunate enough that many immature LA-area teachers are so anti-military that they chide students in JROTC uniform in front of their peers.}
And it's worse in Los Angeles, or any big city district, than smaller towns, unfair and very covert. My lengthy, probing e-mails seeking responsible answers to these illegal matters are rarely answered by UTLA, and if so, in a most vague way.
But they're quite clear when they urge their teachers, as they did again earlier in the week (I am still on their email list) to "Boycott all after-school faculty meetings and all voluntary after-school activities beginning on Tuesday September 25th. The boycotts will not include back-to-school night activities (where we will distribute parent flyers), local school leadership and school site council meetings." We are urging all UTLA members to make 3 calls to their congressional representatives before October 3rd to urge them to vote “No” on the new version {of their contract}."
And, "Sept. 25th will also be After school Payroll Demonstrations. Instead of attending after school faculty meetings on Sept. 25th, plan to attend one of 3 separate payroll demonstrations...Members are encouraged to, at the end of the school day, leave campus and attend one of the rallies."
So yes, amidst the 24 other classes required over the four semesters of teacher prep coursework, I agreed with the ex-professor that this one class on understanding all the "nuances" of educational politics would be essential.
I won't hold my breath. Every time I or others expose the macabre goings-on within public education, we seem to cause more ire with former colleagues and current teachers, and lose more credibility in their biased eyes, Reformists are rarely admired, often loathed. Most open-minded non-teachers, irrespective of political affiliation, acknowledge I must be doing something right though. I'll settle for that for now.
Ari Kaufman
http://indeed.blog-city.com/
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