Why Teachers Like Me Support Unions
If you feel like you've seen that title before, it may be because today, a number of teacher bloggers, including NYC Educator and myself, are dedicating our blogs to the topic of solidarity and, dare I say it, pride. In light of repeated and, frankly, ever more ridiculous attacks against the "lavish lifestyles" teachers enjoy, we feel that it's important to make people understand why unions are relevant and important to good teachers and why we feel that union memberships benefit children and public education generally.I support unions for teachers because they work to guarantee academic freedom for teachers. Though I'm careful to encourage my students to be open-minded and consider multiple perspectives, I do have beliefs and principles of my own, and knowing that I can't be fired for holding or expressing them is important to me. Union membership means being able to be true to who I am without worrying that I'll lose my job over it.
As well, due process is a crucial right for which teachers' unions have fought. At one time,