STICKING a TOE into POLITICS

I just had a great weekend in Omaha. (It seems like there should be a sardonic rejoinder to an opening line like that, but one escapes me at the moment). I met with about half of the 2007 State Teachers of the Year (S-TOYs), who have launched a “Teachers at the Table” bill in Congress, to bring classroom teachers’ voices to the policy table. There was a lot of energy and self-confidence (things you have to like in a teacher) in the room; you could sense that these award-winning teachers believed that it was possible to insert the critical voices of practitioners—people who do the actual work in schools—into high-level decisions impacting education.

The S-TOYs were smart enough to invite representatives from a number of national organizations, as well as the member of Congress (Lee Terry, R-NE) who sponsored the bill. Ed Policy groups—recognizing the chance that “Teacher at the Table” might actually become law—came out in force to start building useful relationships with the S-TOYs in the room. Democratic politics in action.

I was invited to represent the Center for Teaching Quality, an organization built on making teachers central in school improvement, and the Teacher Leaders Network, a virtual community that might well be described as the Teachers’ Lounge You Only Wish You Had.

As a former S-TOY myself (Michigan ’93), I was excited and encouraged to see honored teachers once again attempting to build robust entry points into the policy-making process—and to see Representative Terry generously sharing his time and expertise with the group. There are lots of political operatives out there who might sneer at the idea that teachers have the necessary information and savvy to contribute anything meaningful to the education policy discourse—and still others who might see a teacher’s place as in the classroom, period. If there’s anyone who can change that perception, it’s this group of articulate S-TOYs.

While cheering, I am also hoping that the Class of 2007 knows that the road to policy influence is long and bumpy. To be an effective political change agent requires skill, data, connections—and caution. There are many ed-advocacy groups who would love to have pristine new faces and voices speak for their viewpoint; they will lobby these wonderful teachers very effectively.

In my tenure as Michigan TOY, I was asked by then-governor John Engler and my union (who were strange bedfellows, indeed) to be a public face supporting a statewide education funding initiative. Because I felt that the goals and changes in the proposal were sound ones, I agreed. I shot a widely aired TV commercial and did radio and print media spots. Although the MEA supported the measure, many teachers did not—and I heard some not-so-polite things from a large number of them, as well as the anti-tax crowd. In the meantime, however, I was being wined and dined by the governor, flying around the state with him in his private plane to promote the proposal, and staying in the nicest hotels in Michigan. Good times, as the saying goes.

The proposal went down in flames. The governor quickly shepherded another, similar proposal on to the next ballot. The MEA declined to sign on this time, preferring to craft their own, different fix for school funding—and asked me to promote it. But I couldn’t—I had already been seen by a million TV viewers, saying I endorsed the governor’s plan, and the plain truth was that I did think the governor’s proposal was the best option. This did not sit well with the union. And the union included people I saw in my real teachers’ lounge, every day. I got a tongue-lashing from the state TOY coordinator, who told me in no uncertain terms that being Teacher of the Year was a non-political honor, not a platform for advocacy. As for the governor, he wasn’t calling me any more.

Knowing what I know now, would I have agreed to become spokesperson for a statewide political cause? In a heartbeat.  Getting out there and getting bumped around is how the political process works. You may get used, a time or two. But people are listening to your message. And if your message is critical for students and schools, it’s worth it.

Comments

[Bob]

Kudos, Teach. Get the rest of your foot in. You have useful insights to add to the art of compromises (politics). I expect that many candidates (or their staffs) will gladly listen, and one or two might follow through. That could be great for learners!

[Nancy Flanagan]

Thanks, Bob. While the blog post makes it sound like I haven't been politically involved since the 90s, that's not true at all. I learned a great deal about the system and how to access power since then--and am continually looking for ways for teachers to have influence in policy-making. It's an uphill battle, not made any easier by those ongoing perceptions I mentioned: teachers are clueless about policy and should stay in the classroom. Still, I believe that a lot of unintended consequences of ed policy could have been forestalled by bringing an experienced teacher to the table. Will blog with more examples of this...