She told the children she'd walk if a strike were called. Unfortunately, I think the answer to both questions is no. The press and our elected officials, some of whom we helped elect, paint the teachers as people who work under some difficult conditions, BUT, only for a very short day and year. They point to the test scores and call for better results. They talk about the budget deficit and say their hands are tied, while they call for new stadiums and tax breaks for businesses with their next breath.
Teachers talk about the conditions under which they work.
They talk about buildings in need of repair, insufficient supplies, oversized classes and students who bring lots of problems to school. As soon as teachers start complaining about the problems the students bring from home, they enter the treacherous valley of blame. There is no clear cut roadmap through this terrain, but there is plenty of blame to go around. Once teachers and parents start blaming each other for the bigger problems our kids face, it's almost certain that we're going to lose ground. The ground I'm talking about is the higher ground, the place where families and schools work together to support our children.