February 21, 2019 9:00 am
Eric Blanc has gone to every teacher strike while writing a book about them. From what he saw this week in West Virginia, he concludes that strikes work. The teachers defeated a dangerous privatization bill.
Teachers made clear that they would not compromise, even though union leaders warned them they could not win.
The teachers won. They did not compromise.
Posted by dianeravitch
Categories: Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, Privatization
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Florida teachers should watch and learn as DeSantis continues to give preferential treatment to charters and vouchers. Teachers do not want to strike, and it comes at great personal sacrifice. When teachers are out of options and the state and/or district does not negotiate in good faith, there is little else teachers can do to show their resolve and unity.
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By retired teacher on February 21, 2019 at 10:10 am
They had to force lawmakers to pay attention to the public schools in the state.
Which is remarkable, when you think about it. West Virginia would not address issues in the public schools until the employees of those public schools WENT ON STRIKE.
Even then! Even after the employees shut down every school in the state, state lawmakers STILL attempted to ignore and neglect public school issues and instead promote charters and vouchers.
It’s like pulling teeth to get these people to pay attention to public schools. They don’t want to do it. We can’t PAY them to do it- they’re all paid and still they refuse.
Nothing would have happened for West Virginia public schools if it weren’t for the teachers striking. That’s what it takes to get their attention. Amazing.
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By Chiara on February 21, 2019 at 10:42 am
striking and RE-striking…
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By ciedie aech on February 21, 2019 at 2:22 pm
I read ed reformers on the teachers strikes and it’s amusing.
The teachers go out on strike and the whole echo chamber becomes “concerned” for public school students. They’ll miss school! It’s an emergency! The teachers need to go back to work immediately!
They completely ignore public school students in these states for YEARS but the students miss 3 days of school due to a strike and all of a sudden every ed reform lobbyist and consultant is worried about their education.
Where was the concern when the conditions that led to the strike persisted for a decade? How were the public school students doing then? No one in ed reform knew or cared, because West Virginia isn’t a state with charters and vouchers, West Virginia only has public schools, so it was safe to utterly ignore and neglect.
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By Chiara on February 21, 2019 at 10:47 am
Charters, and school choice/vouchers are not quite dead in W Va. Please see
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/us/west-virginia-teachers-strike-day-2/index.html?utm_source=CNN+Five+Things&utm_campaign=36c84da74e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_21_07_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6da287d761-36c84da74e-82695477
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By Charles on February 21, 2019 at 10:55 am
Really? The West Va teachers will keep striking.
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By dianeravitch on February 21, 2019 at 11:19 am
Why did it take so long for teachers to use the power of the strike? This is the failed responsibility of current union leadership which failed to make this option viable and ongoing for the members. K-12 pub schl teachers are absolutely essential to the everyday functioning of society, which cannot manage unless 3mil tchrs supervise 50mil kids daily. University faculty are certainly not as essential to the functioning of society b/c coll students are adults who can supervise themselves, go to their jobs already in place, etc. No society can work if 50mil kids are unsupervised daily. Finally, some of the fog is lifting on this power already in the hands of teachers.
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By IRA SHOR on February 21, 2019 at 11:09 am