I see some of my colleagues salivating over the state teacher strike in West Virginia. Don't hold you breath here in NY. Maybe when the conditions of teachers ... Ed Notes, 2018 -
March 29, 2021
There was much hope here in Mudville about a trigger of militancy in NYC - but I pointed out teachers in West Virginia were eating pet food - don't forget - it's the economy, stupid, not the ideology.
One of my fave warriors against ed deform, Jennifer Berkshire with her writing
partner Jack Schneider, authors of Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door were interviewed today with one of my fave podcasters, Sam Seder, on Majority Report - listen to the wide ranging discussion of how ed deform got into the door and where it intends to take us to the end of public ed - (https://youtu.be/ZX05_S17u9M). But let me focus on just one aspect of the interview.
Jennifer (also check out their podcast - Have you Heard) pointed out that West Virginia legislature passed the most oppressive voucher law you can imagine which fundamentally can kill the entire WV public school system and turn the state into what happened in New Orleans. I've been worried since the pandemic began that this will be an opportunity to tie a noose around public school systems - and watch all the people who are screaming about how important it is for kids to be in school jump ship to virtual learning when it becomes convenient. Jennifer pointed out how fundamentally this is all about saving money and since labor is the major cost of education, de-unionizing and de-skilling teachers is the goal. Since teacher unions are one of the major bulwarks of the Dem Party, I see the threat of killing our unions as greater than the voter suppression movements by Republicans.
The West Virginia story also got mentioned in the libertatian anti-union publication of Mike Antonucci - with maybe a bit of glee CONTINUE READING: Ed Notes Online: Take me home, West Virginia - How will Red for Ed respond as Extreme Voucher Law passed to decimate Public Ed?