In response to the discussion about why teachers are silent, this reader writes:
The climate of fear and distrust can undermine a teacher’s self confidence – can make a person begin to doubt his/her own competence and perceptions about what students need to succeed. With the teachers around us trying to keep their jobs and staying silent in the face of harmful policies, we lose our sense of trust in ourselves and our process of learning and working together to bring our students along. The undermining of the professionalism of teachers, the quieting of teachers’ voices is a fact of life today. For whatever reason the public is continuing to scapegoat us perhaps because they do not want to look at the realities of poverty and the price tag of really saving our country’s children. We have to talk to one another. We have to reach out and share our observations, perspectives with one another. We have to listen to and protect the teacher in ourselves and each other by having conversations outside of school. We need to be able to speak the truth -express ourselves about our work with children, about our perspectives on education and what is really happening in our communities and in our schools. We do need leaders and we do need solidarity, but until we make an effort to support the struggling teacher in each of us we will have no strength to fight with -no one but robots left in the profession. ( I have started getting this blog in my email because I know it is one way for me to get that injection of support from committed teachers everyday -words I need to hear to keep me from losing my teacher-self in this destructive environment I have to work in.)
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“support from committed teachers everyday -words I need to hear to keep me from losing my teacher-self”
The very reason I’m heading to the SOS conference in DC tomorrow. An attempt to preserve my sanity by being with like-minded educators.
I agree we need to do all of what you say, god knows I do, but I’m worried that we may exchange the support we give to each other and ourselves for a quiet waiting, a further hunkering down. Make no mistake, teaching is a gender issue for all of us as well as anything else. We are in a classic abusive relationship with ed deform. Most of us are women, and we are being treated in a traditionally determined way because of it. We are being treated like children: told what to do, how to think, our professional lives run from the top, told to “shut up and teach.”
This year, the state I teach in underwent the most devastating pension theft in the country. There were groups that escaped unscathed:judges, correctional officers, and state police. The word was that the legislature couldn’t pass the “reforms” if they angered these male dominated groups. So, of course, who bore the brunt of the theft? Teachers and state worker were the target–women and low wage workers.
This is a fight. This is a time for being a “bad ass,” not in the classroom like some militaristic charters, but outside the classroom, where the battles are taking place. We as a predominately female profession, we cannot continue to make nice with our enemies. We can’t be the nurturer outside our classroom walls. It’s way too late for collaboration, sucking up, keeping our heads down, and getting along.
What should we do and how should we do it? I don’t know. What I do know is that what we are doing now isn’t working. The enemy is at the gate, and we are still trying to figure out what to do. They are attacking and we are talking.
Teachers must ask their union to get loud and persistent. The union must constantly push a clear narrative in order to deflect the teacher bashing. It must make clear the link between the variety of privatization efforts the wealthy hedge fund managers and silicon valley entrepreneurs want with serious damage to the classroom learning experience that will occur.
It is not impossible to wrest the narrative away from the politicians and their wealthy patrons when you have the truth on your side. But it must happen now — before the election.
I never lacked confidence in my abilities once I was settled into the type of teaching I did best. I think that is key, finding your niche and doing well in it. However, some are the restless type and want variety in their work. And for those, that is well and good. I have always preferred to be the best at my calling. The first few years, however, were hell and I would have really benefited from some good mentors. I tended to go to my coordinators or to the Lead or Dept Chair when I had a good one who was family, when I needed help, never the principal since I was special ed and they did not speak my language. Being a white person in an all black system for many years it was difficult to find people who trusted me. However, some colleagues were supportive. Usually they were male teachers, itinerants, therapists or outside of my field.
I think it is up to the veterans to reach out to the new people, to nurture and help them and ask, how they are doing. I monitored a young first year with a Masters (age 25) who taught Spanish. He went to my church. I always asked him how his week was and he would share what was going on. I realized pretty quickly that inner city teaching was not right for him and suggested a well run suburban system for his second year. Foreign language teachers are always in demand He did well and I think learned a lot about himself, K-12 and teaching. Unfortunately, he has taken a job at a college. But that is what he wanted to do in the first place.
I think we have to be almost intrusive with first year teachers. They want to present confidence but they are really scared. That way we an develop them into family.
People are always talking about the unions. Being a southerner, they have never been a big part of our experience except when something goes wrong that has to do with firing or discipline. An exception was LFT in New Orleans before Katrina. They did like the big city unions did and negotiated health care contracts and such. I wish they had more influence over the schools, but southerners are not likely to strike and consider even the idea somewhat offensive. But for the big stuff, systemwide stuff and for abuse situations, the union is the place to go. In Atlanta there could be a demonstration complete with signs and media at the Board office within 24 hours, and this was before social media or even cell phones. And I think bad administrators were kept under control via the street committee more than the unions. Hot news got across town in a few hours, especially in special ed. because we had a network with our Itinerant teachers, APEs, and therapists. Now that time would likely be more like minutes. Administrators were afraid of the street committee. One who was a chronic sexual harrasser was always talking about it. When he pulled out his boy part and offered it to our MOID teacher the union said they could not do anything (He was seriously connected) but the street committee had it and he knew he was in trouble. Transferred a few months later. Eventually busted for raping a teacher candidate. Was not indicted as there were fraternity members on the grand jury. But he retired abruptly. That is what he needed to do.
We have to empower our unions to handle the politicians, but we are getting badmouthed. In the local paper I often comment on articles and jump on every opportunity to explain to those who put down the unions that their purpose is to prevent teachers from being fired for things that are not related to their job. The other day I did this. If a local paper has an online comment sections, I think teachers need to use it vociferously. Teachers are usually high verbal and the comments can be accompanied with a screen name. Also, the yahoo and other comment sections are available when there are articles that condemn teachers. Teachers need to feel the responsibility to get on the Internet and express themselves. There are a lot of us and when we are put down we need to put ourselves up. Retired teachers have more time to do this than working ones, but anyone can spend thirty minutes once or twice a week responding to negative articles. If you are bold, you can also write letters to the editor. I have had about 20 in our local paper since Katrina and probably 7 in the year before that. Some papers are easier to get into than others. I only had 7 printed in 30 years in Atlanta.
I think it is time for teachers to speak up. With this privatization crap the teachers need to talk about what is wrong with it and why. We need to speak of our experiences with Teach for America workers and with politicians putting us down. We are smart. The thing about the bottom of the heap and the dummies majoring in education was true in the 1960s, but it is not true today because women have many more choices about the work they do. They no longer have to either teach or nurse in order not to be dependent on a man. If even 10% of America’s teachers spoke the truth on the Internet, even anonymously, I think we could turn things around. Just don’t accept the idea that you are not smart enough or good enough or informed enough.