An Urban Teacher's Education: Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012

An Urban Teacher's Education: Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012:

Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012

by James Boutin

The following was cross posted at @ the chalk face.

Last year, Save Our Schools hosted a phenomenal conference in Washington DC. I wrote about my experiences there here, here, and here. Like-minded people from across the country coalesced around their distrust of policies that make no sense when you see them through the eyes of those they're supposed to serve: students. Privatization, school-choice, Teach for America, the dismantling of unions and collective bargaining, standardized testing, NCLB's labeling of and punitive response to "failing schools" - they all represent an acute threat to our traditional notion of public education, our inclination to strive for true equality of opportunity, and democracy.

When I first began my foray into teaching, I understood none of this. To be honest, I thought the people who said the kinds of things I wrote in the previous paragraph were overreacting, maybe a little off their rocker. But then I taught in Washington, DC; and then New York City. And I witnessed first hand the destructive effects of these policies on school children in large urban districts where politics are ubiquitously palpable, and people eat beesand play with test scores to make a name for themselves.

So whether you're just beginning your career in education (as a pre-service teacher, or as a counselor), you have a child in public education, you've been working in schools for thirty years, or you're a member of the general public who cares about democracy and education (because in education, everybody is a stakeholder); and you have August 3rd-5th open on your calender; I highly recommend you attend the convention this year.

The energy I took from last year's gathering helped me through this past year of teaching. It increased my awareness and provided me with ideas on how to better engage my students, staff, and community around the good fight for social justice.

Videos and blog postings will undoubtedly be available after it's over, but nothing compares to the experience of being there. There's a good chance it will change the way you see your work and education's mission.

Hope to see you there!