Today is Jan 13, but what happens on Jan 14?
Part of me feels premature in writing this. We should be focused on the 13th, on channeling our energies, promoting awareness, and trying to recruit every last body to march with us.
The other part of me knows that we have to already be thinking beyond the 13th.
If this is but one day of action, a single day of a sea of red politely milling in front of the capital building, then we will be dismissed swiftly and derisively. 30+ years of one party rule in the state of Florida should have made it clear that they don't care about teachers or education.
Many of us are looking at a long bus ride to Tallahassee on Monday morning. One in which we will be groggy from early wake up times, but giddy and electrified for a day of action. On the way home we'll be weary, but most of all we need to be resolved. There are many issues we need to come together around, but the main one right now is this: this has to be a battle we are willing to fight for the duration. Right now, up through, and beyond November 3rd. When all of this comes to a head they need to look back on the 13th and simply recognize that it was a warning, a shot across the bow.
These are my proposals:
Regular, consistent, and growing local actions in every county, at least once a month. If your local community leaders, representatives, senators, and so on support you, make sure they are there with you. Put school board meetings on your calendars and SHOW UP. Fill the room, make them open the annexes, make them kick people out, wear red, get loud, demand our voices be heard. Show up to your local representatives offices. The people who pass our budgets, our taxes, our millage rates, they have names, offices, and phone numbers. Recruit them or picket their offices and drown them under letters, emails, and phone calls.
Get the community involved. We need more and more support from people who are NOT teachers or our peers in the field. Actions moving forward need to be filled, flooded, and led by parents, students, business owners, community organizers and anyone else who recognizes the value and importance schools bring to our communities and education brings to our society. When the time comes to really push back on Tallahassee, we need to make sure that we are backed by the people we serve as teachers.
We need to form a consistent, clear, and comprehensive vision of what is needed. It will not be concise, because the issues we are fighting are myriad. Crumbling infrastructure, dismal pay for all educational personnel, unmanageable work expectations, burdensome student loads, loss of educational freedom, loss of professional contracts, etc. The list can go on and on, but the demands need to be named and known.
We as a movement, need to be prepared for a true strike. The legislature may say we're not "allowed" to, but our numbers are our strength. And the reason we are barred from it is because it was so successful last time when we did it in 1968. We need to be ready to use the full force of our numbers, teachers, staff, parents, community members to show our leaders our power. We have a precious window, especially this summer, when the political primary process can be leveraged to help bring attention to these issues. We need to use it.
Whether you're riding to or from Tallahassee. Whether you're in the classroom, or on the bus. Whether you're in education or not. I ask that you consider these things. Mull them over. Let them roll around in your head. Sleep on them.
Because tomorrow, the real work begins.