You Say Tomato, I Say We Should Make Our Public Schools a Priority

I spend more on tomatoes than at any other time in my life. If the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is to be believed, I am spending 42.04% more on tomatoes than I did in 2000 (http://www.in2013dollars.com/Tomatoes/price-inflation). The thing is, I don’t go around bragging about how much I spend on tomatoes, it just happens to cost more to buy tomatoes today than it used to. I’m not a tomato expert, so I’m not exactly sure why tomatoes cost more now than they used to. I assume that it costs more to produce, distribute, and market the tomatoes than it used to.   If the truth is to be told, I don’t really like tomatoes that much, but I’m still spending more than ever on tomatoes.

Governor Reynolds and Republican legislators in Iowa are fond of saying that we are spending more on education than at any other time in history.   I can tell you that they are telling the truth. That doesn’t mean that are doing all they can to support public education in our state.   Less than two years ago Republican lawmakers stripped public school teachers of our bargaining rights.   For the last two years lawmakers have chosen to increase spending on K-12 public education at a rate of just over 1%, while slashing funding to our state’s post secondary institutions.   It is also clear that Republican lawmakers are eager to dismantle IPERS and steer more public dollars towards private and charter schools.

The fact is that it costs more to keep our schools open each and every year. Much like the tomato farmer, most of the costs associated with what we do are out of our control. The increasing costs of transportation, heating and cooling, health care, technology, textbooks, and many other operational expenses far exceed the 1% increase that the legislature has appropriated for K-12 education. The result is that Iowa’s schools are seeing increased class sizes and cuts in programming such as fine arts and industrial technology.

When Iowa’s lawmakers tell you that education funding is stretching the state’s purse strings, it is critical to note that they are in control of what goes into the purse. A state’s budget is really a reflection of what we prioritize. If the last two years of Republican control of the statehouse and governor’s mansion has taught us anything it is that their priority is to put money in the pockets of Iowa’s wealthiest people and businesses.   As an example business tax credits in Iowa are projected to increase from $202 million in 2011 to over $302 million in 2021 (http://www.iowapolicyproject.org/Budget_Taxes.html). That is creating a shift in priorities from public services to private pockets.

Other states have followed this playbook in recent years. Kansas is an outstanding example of a state that attempted to implement massive tax cuts and make giant cuts to public spending (https://www.npr.org/2017/10/25/560040131/as-trump-proposes-tax-cuts-kansas-deals-with-aftermath-of-experiment). It failed.   Our governor and Republican legislators know that it failed and yet they continue to follow the playbook. It will take Kansas years to recover from those failed policies. Iowa cannot afford two more years of the Kansas playbook being implemented.

Education may not be the issue that drives you to the polls and I get that, but don’t go to the polls this November under the belief that Iowa’s Republican legislators are doing all they can for our public schools. You say tomato and I say, well I say tomato too. No one says ToMAHto.   I say Republicans are underfunding Iowa’s schools because that’s what is happening.   Don’t be fooled into believing there is another way to look at it.

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Dear Secretary DeVos (Guns…really?)

Dear Secretary DeVos,

It’s the first days of school here in Iowa. I had the privilege of spending the first day of school in an amazing elementary school in my district. As I held open the door for the students there were tears (mostly from the parents as they waved goodbye), there was laughter, but mostly there was anticipation. You could feel the excitement from the students, parents, and staff as everyone headed to their rooms to get the year started. Within minutes of the bell ringing I saw classrooms full of students drawing, writing, reading, and even dancing.   Every teacher knows that you only get one chance to set the tone for the school year and the staff I observed was taking full advantage of that opportunity.   Those young people were fired up to be at school.

As someone who follows what you are up to pretty closely I was curious what message you might send to the teachers and students of our country as the school year starts.   To be frank, my expectations were pretty low. As someone who has never taught, attended, or really spent much time in our public schools, I’m not sure that you have much of a sense of what the start of the school year is about, but I was curious nonetheless. Well, I have to admit, you managed to shock me. Guns. The news you generated at the start of the school year was about guns (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/22/us/politics/betsy-devos-guns.html).

I guess I shouldn’t be shocked anymore. Your agenda has been to shift public dollars to for-profit charter schools, rescind the rights of our most vulnerable young people (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/10/21/devos-rescinds-72-guidance-documents-outlining-rights-for-disabled-students/?utm_term=.9ca8c147a5b3), and take away protections for students who are defrauded by for-profit colleges (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/politics/betsy-devos-debt-relief-for-profit-colleges.html). And yet I was genuinely shocked when I read that you wanted to use federal funding to purchase guns for teachers.

The thing is, no one thinks this is a good idea. OK, the NRA and gun manufacturers (I know..one and the same) think it’s a good idea, but teachers, parents, law enforcement officers, even congress think it’s a bad idea.   As a matter of fact, congress recently passed a $50 million school safety bill that expressly prohibited the use of money for firearms.   The funds that you are considering using to buy guns out of (the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants) were authorized to support young people in one of three goals: providing a well-rounded education, improving school conditions for learning, and improving the use of technology for digital literacy. Those are worthy goals. To use those dollars to arm teachers is beyond ridiculous.

School safety is incredibly important. Since you’ve spent virtually no time in public schools it is possible you aren’t aware that among the things that happens during the first days of school are teacher trainings for a variety of dangerous situations.   Every teacher has thought about how they would protect their students in these situations and evidence from numerous school shootings would suggest that teachers have no problem putting themselves between a dangerous individual and their students.   With that being said, there isn’t enough training possible to make arming them a good idea.

Here is what I know…there is a mentally unstable person not far from every school in America who has easy access to a firearm.   I also know that congress will do nothing to change that. Schools are doing all they can to create a safe environment for students and staff, but as long as it is easy for troubled people to get guns there will be school shootings.

Betsy (can I call you Betsy?), I swear to goodness I would like nothing more than to read a headline that said, “Secretary DeVos calls for increased support for the arts,” or “Secretary DeVos stands up for vulnerable public school students,” but that isn’t going to happen is it? The thing is, this is what I knew would happen. In December of 2016 I begged my Senator to vote against your nomination (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-letter-to-my-senator-regarding-betsy-devos_us_5840b07ae4b04587de5de88b) because I knew that you would be a shill for those seeking to make a buck off of public education. What I couldn’t have imagined then was that among the charter school and for-profit college fat cats you would include gun manufacturers among those that you would help profit off of our schools.

I can’t think of a cabinet secretary in my memory that our country has had lower expectations for. You have no background as an educator, you have no experience with public schools, and your only qualification is that you used your wealth to meddle (unsuccessfully) with schools in Michigan, and yet you have crawled under the low bar once again.   As a notable politician might tweet… SAD.

It seems unlikely that you’ll be able to pull off getting this money into the hands of gun manufacturers, but that’s not really the point. Your role should be to set the agenda for conversations about our schools. The Secretary of Education should seek to empower schools, teachers, and most importantly students.   Yet, at every turn, you empower the already powerful. You actively make it harder for schools to protect our most vulnerable young people. Do you have a sense of how history will look back on your tenure in this role? The teacher of the third grade classroom where I saw students smiling and dancing on the first day of school doesn’t have to worry about her legacy; it will be in the future she is she is creating for her students.   Your legacy, well, yours will be different.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Kearney

Dear Secretary DeVos (Sorry About Your Yacht)

Dear Secretary DeVos,

I just read in the news that your yacht was vandalized.   Not only was it a yacht, but reports say that it was a $40 million “super yacht.” Yikes.   I really do hope that authorities find whoever untied the boat from the dock and punish them appropriately.   America should be a place where our yachts are free from this kind of thing.   Thankfully you have nine more yachts to meet your needs during this difficult period.

Reading about your yacht troubles made me curious to see what you’ve been up to lately. The news is a constant barrage of government officials doing all sorts of things to get themselves in the news; meeting with Russians, aggravating allies, implementing tariffs that will cost my state up to $624 million (https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2018/06/15/donald-trump-china-tariff-trade-war-economic-impact-iowa-businesses/680940002/), and all sorts of other stuff that makes it hard for the Department of Education to find it’s way into the news.

In doing a little bit of reading I discovered that you’ve actually been pretty busy. Just this week you have laid out plans to make it much easier for for-profit colleges to take advantage of students (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/us/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-colleges.html). The previous administration wanted these for-profit schools to prove that they were honest to students about their ability to prepare them for future careers.   But not the DeVos Department of Education. You are actively doing all you can to make sure that these for-profit institutions have no accountability and no transparently as they prey on vulnerable students.   None of this is really surprising given that you have hired the Dean of DeVry “University” to lead these efforts. Notably, DeVry has been often called out for misleading students about job prospects and was fined $100 million in recent years over these allegations.   So, yeah, you and your crack staff have been busy making sure that there is a profit to be made on the backs of college students who are getting shafted. Those yachts don’t pay for themselves…am I right?

It is also clear that your Department of Education has been busy trying to make itself less busy. In April the Office of Civil Rights began dismissing hundreds of cases https://www.newsweek.com/betsy-devos-civil-rights-missions-939638). The Department of Education has been sued by civil rights organizations for dismissing complaints that it deems to be burdensome. While the Office of Civil Rights is concerned about how overloaded they are with civil rights complaints, they have found some time to dedicate considerable investigatory resources into whether schools like Yale and the University of Southern California are discriminating against men. That seems about right. While the Department of Education is making sure that Yale has enough room for dudes, advocates like Marcie Lipsitt from Michigan are having complaints about fair access for deaf and blind students dismissed. To be fair, most young deaf and blind students probably don’t have yachts to worry about, while male graduates of Yale are much more likely to have yacht problems. Only those who have experienced “super yacht” problems are likely to understand why we need to protect the civil rights of yacht owners and future yacht owners.

All of this is going on while you continue to advocate for more public dollars to spent on for-profit charter schools.   This is in the face of research that all of the advantages that are supposed to be gained by attending a private school disappear when socio-demographic characteristics are factored in (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/07/26/no-private-schools-arent-better-at-educating-kids-than-public-schools-why-this-new-study-matters/?utm_term=.371c8ff78ae7). You have called public schools a “dead end,” when nothing could be farther from the truth.   America’s public schools are the best hope for ALL students to grow, learn, and prepare for the future.   Public school teachers aren’t interested in turning a profit, public school teachers are coming to school each and every day to help ALL students learn, and public school teachers don’t make a single decision that is impacted by who may or may not have access to a yacht.

In December of 2016 I wrote this to you, “Once we introduce you to the young Bosnian kid who translates letters home to his parents, the kid living out of the family car who does homework with only a street light to illuminate his textbook, the kid who wants to be sure their school offers great music courses, a world language program, and some advanced courses, and the special education student who loves spending part of their day with their peers, we think that you will fall in love with our public schools.” It doesn’t seem like you’ve been introduced to these kids yet. You seem to continue to dedicate yourself to the yacht owners of our country.   Until you get to know the real students, parents, and staff that inhabit our public schools and those who strive to get a college education with limited resources, I’m not sure you’ll understand why those of us who are dedicated to excellent public schools are so angry.

Well, I hope your yacht gets fixed up OK.   School starts here in about a month and I am eager to meet up with my colleagues to talk about meeting the needs of the kids getting ready to walk in our doors. Our students deserve the best we can give them and I know that the colleagues I am blessed to work with are up to the challenge.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Kearney

Governor Ray and What it Means to be an Iowan

My parents were in the fortunate position of being able to choose where they wanted to raise a family in early 1970s. They had been raised in Nebraska and Minnesota, they had met in Colorado, and had been living in Kansas when they were given the opportunity to choose where they wanted to raise me and my brother.   After a lot of discussion and research they decided to move to Iowa.

What made Iowa appealing to a young couple in the 1970’s? The simple answer is that Governor Robert Ray made Iowa appealing to my parents. From the time I started school in Adair, Iowa through the beginning of my high school career in Ames Robert Ray was the only governor I knew. There was no distinction growing up between the role of the governor and the person Robert Ray, it was just “Governoray”.   He was synonymous with Iowa politics and what it meant to be an Iowan for many years.

So, again, why come to Iowa in the 1970s? To my parents, Iowa was unique.   They saw a pace that was easy going, they saw a commitment to public education, they saw an economy built on family farms, and they saw a state that was welcoming and deceptively progressive.   It was Robert Ray, as much as any single person, who helped to form the Iowa identity that I grew up being so proud of.

Robert Ray’s Iowa took great pride in public schools.   He radically changed how Iowa funds our schools, putting rural schools and urban schools on a more even playing field.   He recognized that people like my parents would choose to come to Iowa because the schools were strong.   He also recognized that Iowa’s schools would only flourish if teachers were treated well.   He demanded that Iowa’s teachers (and nurses and firefighters) be treated as professionals and instituted Iowa Public Employment Relations Law, which allowed employees to bargain collectively. During Governor Ray’s tenure Iowa schools were recognized as outstanding.

Robert Ray’s Iowa was also welcoming to people who needed a safe place to start a new life. During the 1970s Governor Ray cleared the way for thousands of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam settle in Iowa.   While people everywhere understood that there was a crisis in Southeast Asia, it was Governor Ray who took action.   He knew that Iowa was a place where these family’s lives could be changed for the better.   “Don’t tell me of your concerns for human rights, show me,” Ray said. “Don’t tell me of your concerns for these people when you have a chance to save their lives, show me. Don’t tell me how Christian you are. Show me.”

Robert Ray’s Iowa was also a place where moderate political views could find a home.   Often times Governor Ray would place political rivals on state boards or advisory groups. His theory was that it was more valuable to have those who disagreed with him working on the inside to solve problems than to have them sniping from the outside.   Governor Ray’s Iowa was a state where we could elect Senator Charles Grassley and Senator Tom Harkin.   Current Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said this about Governor Ray, “Gov. Ray’s legacy lives on in the millions of people that he impacted as a tremendous statesman for Iowa and our nation. His civility, courage and common-sense governing set a high standard for those who followed,”

As Governor Ray passed away last week at age 89 it made me ponder whether my parents would still be drawn to Iowa in 2018.   Do you look at Iowa in 2018 and see a state dedicated to strong public schools or do you see a state that has recently taken away bargaining rights for teachers, a state that is only growing K-12 funding at a rate of less than 2% in recent years, and whose leaders are eager to steer more public resources to private and charter schools.   Is Iowa still seen as a place that is welcoming to immigrants?  Well, Iowa’s most outspoken congressperson recently said, “You cannot rebuild your civilization with somebody else’s babies.” So, let’s just say that Iowa may not be seen as a refuge for those in need any more.

In one of Governor Ray’s final interviews in office he said hoped that, “People in Iowa had pride in this state and in themselves,” because of the work he did.   As you read the many messages of respect to Governor Ray upon his passing, I think it’s obvious that people were proud of our former governor.   Iowans can look back with pride on what it meant to be an Iowan during his tenure.

What public policies in the last few years make us proud to be Iowans? I’m not sure what our current legislators would point to.   More tax breaks to businesses and the top 1%? Privatizing Medicaid?   Taking Collective Bargaining from public employees?   I’m not sure any of that will encourage a young couple to want to come here and call themselves Iowans.

The election of 2018 should be about what it means to be an Iowan.

Bourdain, My Father, and Me

I have eaten some of the best meals of my life because of Anthony Bourdain.  When my son chose to go to New York as a celebration of his high school graduation I knew that we had to have a dinner at Le Bernardin.  The reason we had to eat there is because Anthony Bourdain made it clear that Le Bernardin was where one went to experience the best.  We went and it was everything Mr. Bourdain promised.  My wife and I visited Austin, Texas and ate at the restaurant Barley Swine because Mr. Bourdain made it look so good and so exciting.  I have been watching Mr. Bourdain’s travel shows for years and I like to think I was the kind of audience he was looking for in that I not only enjoyed watching, but his travelogues made me want to experience what he was experiencing.

I woke up this morning to the news that Anthony Bourdain killed himself.  The news has really knocked the wind out of me.  This was a guy who seemed to love life.  He seemed to embrace challenges.  He seemed to have it all…money, a family, a dream job, handsome, etc.  And now it’s all gone.  The recent suicides of people like Mr. Bourdain, Kate Spade, and even a man like Robin Williams, makes it clear that suicide, and the types of emotional challenges that leads to it, know no boundaries based on money, success, intelligence, fame, or lifestyle.

In a social media world where many of us do our best to put out best possible face in order to show that we are “doing well,” it is clear that many of us struggle.   This morning I think of my father.  In the last few days I have been cleaning up some of my dad’s stuff and in many ways doing the last business of his life.  I’m throwing away a lot of old business stuff that was just taking up space.   I have found it difficult to throw away his things, because it is all stuff that were pieces of his life.   I don’t want to lose these last pieces of who he was.

I am sure that some of the sadness that I feel in hearing about Anthony Bourdain’s passing is related to some not-so-resolved feelings I have about my father.  You see, while my dad didn’t commit suicide, he did pretty much give up at the end of his life.  I haven’t said that to many people because it’s hard to say out loud.  After the passing of my mom in 2012 my dad had hoped that he could start a new life.  Ultimately he wasn’t really able to start all over again.  He missed my mom, he retired from a job he loved, and although I was able to get closer to him in his final years, he missed his old life too much.  Then, at the end, he just didn’t want to fight.  In my last conversation with my father (before my wife and I took our trip to Austin, TX that Mr. Bourdain had inspired), I told him that I knew he was pretty sick and that I didn’t feel like going on the trip to Texas.  He told me to go.  He told me he loved me and I told him that I loved him.  We both cried for a moment.  I said, “there are things we aren’t saying right now, but I know that’s how you want it to be. I’ll miss you.”  That was the last time I saw my dad.  I did send him a text when my flight to Austin stopped in Denver.  My text: “Just landed in Denver…looking forward to a great trip to Austin.”  My dad’s text response: “You were conceived in a little house near Larmier Square…you should go visit.”  And that was it, my last communication with my dad.  He didn’t want to fight any longer and he had passed away by the time I got back to his home in Des Moines.  My dad was fighting battles, some battles I knew and some battles I didn’t know.  I tried to get him help, but mostly he didn’t want that help.   He, like Mr. Bourdain, Ms. Spade, and Mr. Williams, were fortunate that they had access to the best possible mental health care, and yet, we have lost them.   That’s the hard thing about this, access to help is just one piece of the challenge.

There is some good news though.  Young people recognize the stigma around mental health and depression and many of them are doing something about it.  A group of alumni from the school district I work in have formed “Project Silence No More,” an organization dedicated to collaborating with students, parents, schools, and their community to address mental health in our homes and schools.  If I have one regret with my father it is that I knew there was more help available for my father, but the stigma of the challenges I believe he was facing made it so that we left things unsaid that should have been spoken.  That’s why the name of this organization, “Project Silence No More” is so profound to me.  I encourage you to look at what these incredible young people are doing (https://www.projectsilencenomore.org).  My hope for the future lies in the fact that there are young people not just talking about the challenges they see in the world, but they are doing something about them.

There is hope.   Thankfully there is hope.  You see, I struggle from mental health issues.  It is important that I am able to say that.  I don’t get all of the help I should, but I’m trying to get better about that, and the fact that I can say that I face challenges is an important step, made easier because of the young people around me who have made it clear that it’s OK to say it out loud.  I want to say to all of my friends, young and old, to reach out for help when you need to.  Don’t feel like you can’t talk about the challenges you are facing.  It will never be so bad that there isn’t a solution.  Find a dog to hug, a friend to text with, a travel show that will transport you to a better place, call a friend or a family member, or just write about your feelings; all of it can help.

So, all of this makes me think of three of the greatest meals I’ve ever eaten, all in one restaurant.  When I was a teenager my father took our family to New Orleans and he was very excited to take us to a special dinner at Antoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter.  He had read that it was the height of good eating and civility.  I can remember the waiters in their white coats, I can remember the Oysters Rockefeller, and I can remember how proud my father was to be able to treat us to that fantastic meal.  Move the clock forward to just a few years ago and I was watching Anthony Bourdain eat at Antoine’s and I had an incredible flashback to my childhood.  As Mr. Bourdain sat eating with the well dressed waiters serving him the finest food in New Orleans I realized that I needed to go back, so we organized the last real trip of my father’s life and we traveled there with my him, my wife, and my son.  In the winter of 2013 I had one of the great meals of my life with family at Antoine’s.  My son can tell you in detail about the rack of lamb he ate.  My father told the stories he knew of the special rooms off of the main dining room, and the waiter told us that he couldn’t tell us the secret ingredients to the Oysters Rockefeller.  It was a wonderful meal.  Flash forward one last time to a few weeks ago when I was able to take a friend to Antoine’s and share my stories; it was cathartic and wonderful.  I got to share a special place, but most importantly I got to share an experience that was the kind of thing that my father, me, and I believe Mr. Bourdain loved.

I know I have more experiences like that in my future and that is what keeps me going.  We all have wonderful experiences in our future if we embrace them when they are presented to us.  My good friend Joe Turner, in his final days said, “Choose Joy!”   Amen Joe, let’s choose the joy!

I Do Have an Agenda: ALL KIDS

A local conservative pundit recently wrote an article vilifying public education and claiming that our schools are producing “progressive zombies.” I’m not interested in linking to it, but a Google search for “progressive zombies” will surely get you there. It’s quite a read. The author’s premise is that public school teachers are feeding young people a “rich diet of propaganda, so that by eighth grade they are well on their way to being good little minions of the state who believe in everything and nothing at all.” Yeah, that’s what conservatives believe is happening in our public school classrooms.

It’s complete nonsense of course, but I promise that Republican legislators read this stuff and buy into it.   They are being told that America’s teachers have entered into a vast conspiracy to turn our young people into “progressive zombies.” In an era where the current Secretary of Education has never attended, been a parent in, worked in, or had any affiliation with any public schools, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.

A 2017 Education Next survey (http://educationnext.org/2017-ednext-poll-interactive/) points out that 54% of those polled believe their local public school should receive a grade of an A or a B, while those same people believe that only 23% of schools nationally should get an A or a B.   There’s a disconnect in those results and I have a premise as to why.   Our communities recognize that the schools in their neighborhood are doing the right work. We may believe that schools in “other places” aren’t doing well, but the schools that we have contact with are finding success with the kids in our community. The reality is that every public school faces unique challenges and every public school has unique gifts that are representative of the communities they serve. It is easy to throw stones at “those other” schools, but we should really focus our energy on making sure that every school can thrive based on their distinct needs.

So, what about the idea that America’s public school teachers are actively working to indoctrinate our young people into some sort of progressive cult? Well, I am apparently not getting invited to those meetings. I do get to visit a lot of classrooms and I’ll tell you what I see. I see students engaged in projects intended for authentic audiences. I see vigorous debates about the meaning of great literature.   I see teachers adapting their teaching strategies for diverse learner needs.   I see kindergartners doing incredible problem-solving projects that require them to be collaborative and think critically. I hear incredible music being made.   I see students cooking, building, creating art, and being physically active.   If you haven’t been in a public school in the last ten years, you need to visit one.   I have the pleasure of encountering hundreds of teachers in my work and EVERY ONE of them is doing all they can to support student learning and well-being.

When someone says that our schools are indoctrinating young people with an agenda you can be sure that what they are really saying is that public schools are not promoting THEIR agenda. I’ve said this before, but if it is your belief that America’s public school teachers aren’t up to the task, bring on your army of better qualified people who will do this work while making 17% less than other college graduates (https://www.epi.org/publication/teachers-make-17-percent-less-than-similar-workers/). Assuming we can agree that we all want our public schools to be the best they can be, I can assure you that demonizing those who go into teaching isn’t the answer.

Teachers are making themselves heard across the country, not because we want to, but because we have to. Our schools have to be focused on what is good for ALL young people.   Teachers have to fight to be sure that ALL students have access to a great education. Don’t be fooled into diverting limited resources to those who seek to turn a profit, put more money in the pockets of those who don’t need it, or to those who seek to pursue narrow-minded political or religious agendas. Those of us who recognize the important work that is being done in our public schools need to reclaim the narrative from those who seek to diminish what is really happening.   The story of our schools needs to be told by those who are actually in the classrooms and know the truth.

Waking A Sleeping Giant

Frustrated.   I’m not sure there is a better word to describe America’s teachers at this moment in history than frustrated.   In states all across the country legislators seem intent on knocking the wind out of public education and public educators. Teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have walked off the job recently in response to anti-public education legislation (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/us/teacher-strikes-oklahoma-kentucky.html). Across the country teachers don’t feel like their legislators are listening to them and they are left with no choice but to strike.

I promise that teachers don’t want to strike. Teachers want to talk about our schools. Teachers want to talk about making our profession stronger. Teachers want to talk about what is good for young people. But, in the era of Betsy DeVos many legislators are spinning a narrative that public schools are overspending and underperforming. They are also trying to sell the idea that teachers are overcompensated and interested in protecting the status quo. It isn’t true.   Ms. DeVos has recently come to the conclusion that she should visit schools facing challenges (https://www.thedailybeast.com/devos-maybe-i-should-visit-underperforming-schools). I think it’s a great idea and I would encourage legislators who have aligned themselves with her to do the same. When they visit those schools (or any public school for that matter) I would defy them to tell me what program is wasting taxpayer money. Is it the fine arts program? Are we spending too much to support our special education students? Are we spending too much to support early childhood literacy? Should our students have less access to technology?   Should there be fewer clubs, activities, and sports for kids to participate in? I’m eager to hear what they would say.

For whatever reason, legislatures across the country are taking marching orders from wealthy business folks like the Koch Brothers and punishing schools and teachers.   The Koch Brothers have deep pockets and are spending millions of dollars to advance anti-public education legislation across the country. They have actually been pretty successful. Teachers will never be able to match the Koch Brothers money, but if teachers know anything it is how to get people’s attention.

Legislators have awakened a sleeping giant with their most recent waves of legislation aimed at cutting school funding, cutting pensions, dismantling collective bargaining, and shifting public tax dollars to private charter schools. Teachers have tried to tell our stories, but it has fallen on deaf ears. After being ignored by legislators in recent years teachers aren’t going to take it any more. Teachers are ready to stand up and be heard. Writing letters to our legislators hasn’t worked. Having rallies on the steps of the state capitol hasn’t worked. In West Virginia they were finally heard when they went on strike. It’s a shame that teachers in Kentucky and Oklahoma have had to go to that point as well, but this is where legislators have led us.

I am hopeful (but not necessarily optimistic) that legislators will see what is happening in these and other states and decide to bring teachers to the table before it comes to more strikes.   Teachers want to teach, but teachers are frustrated. We are frustrated with being ignored and we’re ready to take our message to our communities. Ultimately we are ready to meet our legislators at the ballot box.   Unprecedented numbers of teachers are running for office and even more candidates are making public education the centerpiece of their campaigns as they run against anti-public education candidates.   The Koch Brothers may have deep pockets, but if I were a legislator voting against public schools today, I’d be worried about the giant that they have woken up when we get to November.