Last week, I was working in a Denver coffee shop when a woman around my age walked in, bundled up against the cold weather and carrying a picket sign. The sign said, “Let’s wrap this up—I miss my students!” I realized she was participating in the Denver Teachers’ Strike, which was making national headlines, and found my thoughts drifting to courses I took in graduate school about education policy and funding. Next, I thought of articles I had periodically encountered in recent months criticizing the growing wave of teacher walkouts and strikes. In just eight words, I thought, this sign provided an honest and convincing rebuke to criticism of striking teachers that has come from the general public, commentators, and politicians alike. As the woman passed my table, I caught her eye and said, “Thank you”; she smiled and nodded. Encapsulated in our brief exchange was a great deal more.
Public opinion polls have demonstrated that a clear majority of the United States public supports teachers striking for higher pay, and the percentage only increases among parents of public school students. And yet, each time a strike makes the headlines, a persistent criticism manages to find its way to the surface as well. The argument goes something like this: teachers are selfish for putting their monetary requests above the well-being of communities and students they serve; they have no right to use students’ education as a bargaining tool.
Arguments like this offer an artful example of derailment, a tactic by which attention is diverted from the central issue at hand to another issue that (wrongfully) takes the stage in its place. Teachers are, in most cases, very much invested in their students, and in their students’ learning, as the picket sign reminds us. They want to get back to school promptly, and they aren’t striking because they want to—it’s because they have to. In fact, the parties who have demonstrated the most notable lack of investment in students are those legislating and allocating school funding. They haven’t prioritized education, and it’s showing.
Teacher salaries in the U.S. have failed to keep up with rising costs of living, let alone remain competitive. A report published last year found that average teacher salaries were below the living wage in 30 of 50 states—to say nothing of those below average. For the first time ever, in 2018, a majority of parents polled indicated that they hoped their children would not become teachers.
A report published last year found that average teacher salaries were below the living wage in 30 of 50 states—to say nothing of those below average. Share on XThe teachers I know routinely spend 8 hours at school each weekday, often followed by supplementary meetings, usually followed by time spent at home lesson planning or correcting student work. Then, they spend their own money and solicit donations from friends and family through platforms like GoFundMe just to pay for their classroom supplies—because school funding as it exists in many districts just won’t cut it. I have immense respect for each of them, and I know they are doing essential work; at times I feel guilty for not choosing the same path.
No one I know has become a teacher to make money, but plenty of people I know have chosen not to pursue or continue with teaching because they cannot justify the immense sacrifices it requires when they consider their well-being and financial needs, as well as those of their families. Though I believe wholeheartedly that excellent teachers are indispensable (and in another world, could imagine myself pursuing and excelling in teaching), I count myself among that group. That’s a problem.
Countries like the Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, and Singapore have taken a drastically different approach to teacher training and support: funding several years of graduate-level preparation and a living stipend for teachers-to-be, choosing from well-prepared top candidates to staff schools, and paying them competitively. Teaching jobs in these countries are highly sought-after, and filled by the most qualified candidates, who in turn set their students up for success and rarely leave the vocation. Several such countries transformed their education systems drastically, with remarkable results, in the course of two or three decades, and their path spells “sustainability” as they look toward the future of a globalized world where high levels of education are valuable for individuals and nations alike.
Here in the U.S., where the picture could not be more different, teachers have every right to, and in fact must use their service as a bargaining tool—as legislation has been set up to allow. And their bargaining works, precisely because their service is so valuable. “But teacher strikes not only prevent student learning, they also harm families and local economies!” the challengers declare. That’s exactly the point: these arguments only illustrate more convincingly how essential teachers are, even for those of us who do not have school-aged children. And fortunately, there is a glaring solution to each of these challenges that strikes may elicit: pay teachers fairly. When push has come to shove, many districts, most recently Denver Public Schools, have cranked out new agreements, which are far more fair to teachers, in a matter of days. Had they kept their compensation policies reasonable in the first place, we would never have arrived at a point where strikes became necessary.
Here in the U.S., where the picture could not be more different, teachers have every right to, and in fact must use their service as a bargaining tool—as legislation has been set up to allow. Share on XIn closing, I’ll ask you to think of a teacher who made an essential difference in your learning, growth, and development—or those of your child. Now, imagine how your life could be different if every teacher you had could have been as impactful as that teacher. Imagine how your life might be different if you had never had a teacher like that.
For me, one of those teachers was Mr. VanEnk, my 11th grade U.S. History teacher. He taught beyond the brief textbook paragraphs, ensuring that my classmates and I gained a complete understanding of topics like the connections between historical injustices and those that remain today, the rich history of civil disobedience and protest in this country, and the many differences they have made when other means proved insufficient to convey a point. I count my two years with him as time I was incredibly fortunate to have had, and which helped to form me into the informed, passionate person I am today.
Had he and my other teachers been driven through desperation to strike during our time together, I would have supported their right to do so, hoping it would enable them to continue providing the priceless service that they offered to me, my peers, our community, and the country. Please, take a moment this week to reflect on the value that education affords for those of us fortunate enough to have access to it—and thank a teacher.
Please, take a moment this week to reflect on the value that education affords for those of us fortunate enough to have access to it—and thank a teacher. Share on X
