“Our lives begin to end the moment we remain silent about things that matter.
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
An Open Letter to My Colleagues
To my brothers and sisters in the teaching profession:
I am writing to you all because the times demand it. I, like so many of us, come from a family of teachers. My mother was an elementary teacher and principal for 30 years. My father is in his last of 45 years as a professor at Ohio University-Chillicothe. My aunt, my uncle, my cousin, my brother, my wife all have served or continue to serve as public school educators. From the education I received from the Unioto and Chillicothe school systems, to my time at Miami University in Oxford, to my Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, to my 16 years of teaching in the Worthington Schools, to say that my entire life has been and is predicated on public schools would still be an understatement.
I tell my own story; not because it is unique or dramatically different or more important than anyone else’s, but because I know that many of us can tell similar stories about how we came to be public school teachers. I see the dedication that you all show to this profession every day as I see cars in the staff parking lot well before the start of the day and well after our contract day ends. I see your dedication when you take your lunch periods and prep time and time before and after school to meet with students. I see it in your eyes when you speak with pride, not about your own accomplishments, but those of your students when they succeed on their AP tests, or have a breakthrough in music, art or sports, or have that epiphany in class; that spark that shows that learning has taken place. I am humbled by the dedication and performance of this staff at every level—classified, certified, and administration alike. I am proud to say that I am a Worthington teacher; I am prouder still to say that I teach at Thomas Worthington High School.
With so many forces working against us—Michelle Rhee and other “reformers,” who are so quick to tell us what is wrong with education (or more to the point, what is wrong with teachers), it can seem as though we are on an island, that we are left voiceless in the cacophony of calls for school reform. At the state level, changes in tax policies have left our district and many others having to beg our local communities to pay more in taxes just to maintain current funding levels, let alone to keep up with a rapidly changing world. Technology is changing so quickly that many of the jobs our students will have as adults do not yet exist, and yet these same reformers are telling us that the best way to measure our children’s success is by standardized tests on bubble sheets. Many with little to no classroom experience have ahold of the megaphone and are demanding reforms that are at best misguided and are at worst designed primarily to break teachers’ unions. We have a record number of levy and bond issues on the ballot in Ohio this November as schools across the state are being asked more and more often to do more with less. The Worthington school system faces a $4 million deficit if our levy does not pass. Let that sink in. $4 million is the equivalent of 40 full-time employees. Failure of our two issues would result in a reduction of teachers, administrators, and support staff. It would result in the loss of programs and services and people that are vital to our students. It is not an exaggeration to say that the failure of these two issues could lead to Worthington becoming a state minimum standards school system, undoing the 204-year tradition of education in this community.
And yet, we persevere.
The great strength of this democratic republic is that the will of the people will be done. The most significant factor in a democracy is not the vote; it is the discussion in the public square. Despite the obstacles placed before us, we have the ability to have a voice. I empathize when fellow teachers eschew politics. I understand that taking a stand sometimes brings discomfort and risk. But take a stand we must. We, the professional educators and support staff who have dedicated ourselves to the noble proposition that all children deserve access to a quality education, must take a lead role in advocating for our profession. Not all of us will contribute the same way, but all must contribute. Whether it is by donating your money or volunteering your time or using your voice, each of us has a talent to contribute. Each of us must wake up on November 7th and be able to say that I did everything I could to help the cause of public education. The stakes are too high to stand by and remain silent. Volunteer for a phone bank or for canvassing. Donate to the cause. Talk your neighbors. This is a call to arms, a call to take a stand and fight for our profession.
Sincerely and in solidarity,
jmack
