Why teacher voice matters in this election
By Leah Hood
I teach social studies at Lakeville South High School, and I’m a proud member of Education Minnesota. My mom just retired a year ago from 42 years of teaching public high school. She and I both know a thing or two about teacher voice, and why it’s so important.
“Teacher voice is important because students cannot get what they need when teachers don’t get what we need.”
Teacher voice is important because students cannot get what they need when teachers don’t get what we need. Teacher voice is important because teachers work directly with students. Teacher voice has the power to elevate student voices. Teacher voice is important because we are some of the nation’s most passionate, talented, dedicated and educated professionals. And we are some of the fiercest advocates that our students need and deserve.
Teacher voice is important because when we say we need smaller class sizes and we are ignored, we rob students of the personalized, focused, undivided time and attention they need and deserve. Teacher voice is important because when we say we need more planning time and we are ignored, we rob students of the sky’s-the-limit quality of lessons and differentiation of instruction that could spark a student’s new passion.
Teacher voice is important because when we say we need more time for assessing student work and we are ignored, we rob students of the feedback they need and deserve to take their skills and creativity to the next level. Teacher voice is important because when teachers say that we cannot keep working 10- to 14-hour days without the compensation we deserve, and that we are exhausted, and we are ignored, we rob students of the teachers they deserve — teachers who are well rested, healthy, balanced and joyful. Teacher voice is important because as one of my former students told me, when teachers say that we desperately need more teachers of color and we are ignored, we rob students of the critical mirrors and windows they need to see themselves and others in their classrooms and beyond.
Teacher voice is important because when we say student-to-counselor ratios in Minnesota are dangerously high and we are ignored, we rob students of the lifesaving mental health care they need and deserve. Teacher voice is important because when we say that we see the money is there to fully fund public education, and that we aren’t falling for the false-scarcity argument anymore, and we are ignored, we rob students of the fundamental right to the highest-quality educational opportunities this state has to offer — and is choosing not to provide.
“Teacher voice is important because we are experts.”
Teacher voice is important because we are experts. When we ignore teacher voice, we lose our way. We pursue education policies that are ineffective and wasteful and sometimes even harmful to students. So that is why teacher voice is important — because students are important. As one of my colleagues just commented the other day, we cannot put students first if we continue to put teachers last. And that is why we need to work tirelessly over the next two weeks to elect pro-public education candidates like my colleague and union sister Erin Preese, Rep. Angie Craig, Sen. Tina Smith and Vice President Joe Biden.
Leah Hood teaches social studies at Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minn. She is a member of Education Minnesota.
Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to AFT e-newsletters.
