Sunday, September 2, 2012

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:


Eh, Political

Today is my birthday. I'm giving myself a day of relaxation--I've been working hard all week, keeping up with the political splatfest on TV and Twitter, from empty chairs to shopping for milk. Here's a reworked column I wrote in September of 2008. Guess what? Not much has changed.
I wish I had a stock certificate for every time I've heard a teacher exclaim "I'm not very political, but..." Or maybe I'd rather have a dollar, cash money in the cookie jar, given the times--but the point stands: teachers, individually, are caught between a rock and a murky place when it comes to politics.
When teachers say they aren't political, what they usually mean is partisan. Or some variant of dogmatic,intolerant or aggressively and publicly involved. Teaching is an inherently political occupation, however.
The daily work, from kindergarten to Chemistry class, is built on authority, rules, governance structures, practical