"In the American workforce, at some point, you find yourself running up against the Good Ole Boys - it is a faction made up exclusively of white males, usually mediocre, who hold all power and authority among themselves. These men run the company, set the culture, and govern from a place of selfishness; their wants, needs, and desires outweigh all others. The Good Ole Boys look after each other and protect one another. They will lie for each other if it means protecting the power source that their gender and race affords them. The Good Ole Boys protect their own first. They are hostile to outsiders and rarely promote outside of their ranks. Did I mention these men tend to be very, very regular? While most American labor sectors have their very own version of The Good Ole Boys, the structure and function of education creates room for white women to create their exclusive and very own club; they are as power abusive and as racist as their male counterparts. The world must deal with The Good Ole Boys. As a Black man in education, I must grapple with The Good Ole Girls. I was one of the most experienced teachers on staff. Opportunities I took to improve the schooling experience of all of the children were met with a often met policy restraint or new rule designed specifically to address me. My attempts to bring our diverse voices together to best serve our entire student body was more often than not squashed in backroom meetings between the administration and team leads. This was a common tactic of governance at kcc- policies, rules, and school-wide decisions would often be left up to the administration and team leads with no input or insight from the other teachers. The culture of the school made that treatment acceptable. As time went on, I began to see a pervasive culture of racism, and gender discrimination at kcc as the result of the Good Ole Girls leadership structure. Before my academic success, I can honestly say I had a wonderful working relationship with every teacher in the middle school building. It was not until my influence began to grow among students, parents, and fellow teachers did I begin to see a change in the way I was being treated and regarded by the administration and school leadership. My success, my relationships with parents and their children, and my growing influence over teachers began to threaten the leadership structure....."
"The demoralization of this field by those charged to lead this country must end. There can be no more symbolic posturing or social performing; Do not show your appreciation for me by clapping for me. Do not show your appreciation for me with your virtual hugs and your meaningless tokens of nothingness that do nothing to appease no one but the person who sent it in the first place. The best way you can appreciate a teacher is to appreciate what we do. Appreciate a teacher by advocating for the protection of the whole teacher: Our financial, emotional, mental, and physical health must matter. Appreciate me by understanding that we are forced to be guidance counselors, mentors, nurses, social workers, coaches, and parents on top of delivering top-tier instruction to your children. Appreciate me by demanding that your local, state, and federal government allocate the funds necessary to ensure that I am not buying supplies or feeding hungry children out of my pocket. Appreciate me by shutting down any conversations from ANYBODY who would dare say that “We don’t have the money.”
Appreciate me by turning away any person who raises the ridiculous question, “how will we pay for it?” Appreciate me by informing them that I don’t give a damn how it's paid for, pull it out the same Magic Bank where the 5 trillion to finance COVID fallout- trillin with a T - came. Appreciate me by calling on your representatives to defund the police and instead re-allocate those funds to ensuring that police in Wilmington, Delaware aren’t purchasing grenade launchers while teachers in the same city are barely making ends meet. COVID has shown us that when it comes to money, change, and reform, it can happen overnight. Why should we expect anything less as educators?
Appreciate me by demanding access to mental health counseling and counselors for all teachers - the Pre-K to the collegiate level. Appreciate me by appreciating substitutes, Before and Aftercare workers, mentors, teaching aids, paraprofessionals, alternative school workers, school office staff, and personnel, as well as anyone or anybody associated with the facilitation of the learning process for children. Appreciate me by appreciating uncertified teachers. Truth be told I have never been a certified teacher in my 13 years and I have been out-teaching my certified colleagues since I stepped on the scene. No tea, no shade. Just facts.
Everyone likes to believe that their profession is the profession. The police officer likes to believe that his profession is the most important to society as they - by function (are supposed to) protect and serve. The plumber, electrician, and carpenter could make the case that their role in society is of the utmost importance. The social worker could make the argument that their profession makes the world go round. The doctor and the nurse, especially given these extraordinary times have convinced themselves that they are the most essential worker. But riddle me this: who taught the police to protect and serve? A Teacher. Who taught a nurse to take care of the sick? A Teacher. Who taught a social worker to put the well-being of children first? A Teacher. Who taught the plumber the ways of the toilet and, pipes, and faucets and the electrician the ways of the socket, wire, and current? Every occupation, every sector of labor, whether you call it a manager, instructor, supervisor, trainer...all teachers. Our most essential worker - the mother - is by the very function of motherhood - a child's first Teacher." - Selected Readings from Is My Teaching in Vain?