A Blueprint for Teachers to Take Back Ed Reform

by Seung Ok

One of the main pillars by which bloomberg and all other privateers stand on, is fraudulent statistics. If these non pedagogues can achieve results (which we know are fake), then the average citizen could not care less about whiny teachers, closing schools, and union busting.

Right now, in most parents' and voters' eyes, the conversation about improving schools is mainly coming from those that we know are not pedagogues - all the way from Obama down. They see teachers as another interest group looking out for themselves.

In order for us to win this battle against the attack on public education - we need to expose and over-turn the strategies for these false increases in statistics (test scores, graduation rates, remediation in college rates, credit recovery, efficacy of charter schools).

Secondly, we need to be at the forefront of the conversation demanding a superior education for all public school students - lower class sizes, equitable funding compared to suburban schools, new building contstruction, etc. And for that to happen, we need to make inroads with parent groups and organizations.

Lastly, we need to take back our union- so that our UFT president actually promotes policies benefitting our children instead of self serving politics.