Those Who Can, Teach

The onset of the 2019 teacher strike in Chicago has brought a lot of attention to urban education, though this isn’t much different from what happens with other teacher strikes from my observation. No one seems to care about the ceilings that cave in, the budget cuts coming top-bottom, the controversy over special education funding, school closures, support for trauma informed education practices, and what not...until suddenly a strike is in session.  

This attention holds a tension: stories that have not been shared because it was just the norm of the day to day have a new platform; and strangers who suddenly have an interest in a profession they deemed for “those who can’t” assert their opinions because money is the issue on the table. (Sidenote: I hate that expression with such fervor…)

No, this is not a pro-union entry. This is a pro-young person entry. 

If you’ve been a Chicago Public School (CPS) personnel, whatever your title, and in this space I speak of both neighborhood schools and public charters, you know that the work that is asked of us by our administrators, our community, our parents, our students, and our own selves, is enormous. And that ask can vary in depth and breadth depending on geographic locations. You are daily trying to do the best for everyone at the same time with limited resources and expertise. Because no matter if you are the smartest person with the best training and preparation to be an elementary educator, you are then NOT a trained social worker, or counselor, or nurse, or...(so many more blanks to fill in)… nor should you be. And while our attempts, I am sure, are meaningful and necessary, it does not fulfill that of the real thing. (In the same way that an untrained or barely trained teacher will NEVER and should NEVER fill the role of a classroom teacher.)

I attended a 2-year graduate teacher preparation program that was very intentional about equipping us to be mindful and fluent in instructional content planning, culturally relevant pedagogical approaches, and social (in)justice matters pertaining to identity, systems, & all the -isms that invade our society. So with training that is unparalleled to most teacher prep programs, I ventured into this work that requires intentional thought to provide the best, comprehensive learning experiences that our young people deserve. I worked in a neighborhood public elementary school (K-8) located on the southwest side and in a public charter school (6-12) on the southeast side. I have held positions that include classroom teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal.

I met someone once who was adamant that public education is the civil rights issue of our present day; in that statement lies a truth - depending on where you live in Chicago and what you look like, your experience can differ (still). And so as a teacher and as an administrator, I worked to ensure this would not be the narrative for the students whom I had the opportunity to teach and cross paths. As a teacher, I spent hours researching and collecting resources to plan units for my classes that were both relevant and rigorous for my students. I wrote grants and scoured bargain book stores and garage sales to ensure my students had interesting independent reading novels and materials for their unit projects. I made myself available before and after school for tutoring, and often, for safe spaces. I learned quickly to have snacks and band aids available in my classroom. I understood the power of positive interactions, through words, high fives, hugs, jokes, etc. especially because it might just be the only positive interaction my student might get on a given day. As an administrator, I was intentional about “seeing” my kids every morning, dedicating time to greet each student by name as they came in. I did my best to protect the roles of teachers so that they could do what they were called to do, teach and mold young people’s minds, characters, and brains (and respectively each staff member and their respective roles). I fought to think about budget creatively with what I was given; opting not to have an assistant principal so I could have more staff who would round out the instructional teams and ensure teaching loads were reasonable.    

But I have to say, in spite of the intensity of preparation and training I had before entering the field, despite the variety of experiences I gained, even with 12 years of experience, along with the mentorship I receive from my own coaches and colleagues, even if I am adamant and intentional about engaging in collaborative spaces, this work continues to be an unpredictable journey and a difficult endeavor & calling. 

Which is the reality check the world needs to understand. For one, we work with young people, and they are unpredictable because they’re growing and discovering! But add to that the factor of unpredictable contexts, whether it is homes, communities, cities - and while I do mean things like gun violence, gang recruitment, food deserts, access to jobs, and so on; trauma is real and does not discriminate. And then on top of that, add the more removed systems that have further unpredictable impacts on the work of an educator - district & federal systems that impact budget allocations & academic standards, laws & regulations around immigration, guns, healthcare that impact students at school as well as communities and homes.  

But when you’re working with students daily, despite all these unpredictabilities, you power forward. You teach. You give. You listen. You advocate. You encourage. You empathize. You love. You pour yourself out. Because we’re not talking about products here. We’re talking about human lives, our future generation, souls that are shaping. And trust me, the payoff is worth it because the payoff comes in those ‘aha’ moments when your student gets it, whatever ‘it’ is; in the stories they share with you when they come back to visit about where they’ve ventured off to; and you see that they have continued in their studies in college, are starting up businesses, exploring passion projects, making amends with certain people in their lives, and so on. So good. But the pay off can not come at the expense of the educators’ ability to sustain, maintain, and continue forward in the work. Compassion fatigue and burnout is real. And if we never arrive at a “pay off,” then the motivation diminishes even faster.  

So what needs to happen? It’s not just about monetary compensation, though I am impressed by the numbers floating out there with current contract negotiations. (Because as discussed above, this work is hard!) It’s more about staffing and providing the right supports, which can take loads off teachers! And providing the right, predictable contexts for students and educators so that growth and flourishing can become a rightful norm. (And consequently, being an educator can become a profession that is sustainable mentally, emotionally, physically, financially!) 

I will also say this. With all these talks about what is the right school environment that our students deserve, there needs to be accountability. My whole rambling above assumes that we’re all doing this work at 200%, and we’re all grounded in the belief that there is profound importance that every young person receives the learning and love they deserve. I have had the privilege to work alongside amazing teachers who pour into their students and their teaching. I have had the opportunity to learn from administrators and leaders about being innovative & creative and not subscribing to the expectations of different forces. However, when there is NOT an alignment of passion, commitment, and best practices for the growth of our students across classrooms, schools, & district systems, then there will continue to be a broken system wherein which our young people are ALWAYS going to be the ones experiencing the short end of it all. 

If contract negotiations end with all asks being answered or given a fair compromise, that can NOT be the end. If educators are not carrying through the intentional and critical work of caring for, teaching, and equipping our young people with the skills, strategies and content to be change agents, leaders, and the writers of their own lives, then all of this is just for the paper, or pride, or worse, what the stranger accused, money. And this work we get to do is so beyond that. 

So to the amazing educators - teachers, administrators, support staff, union leaders, district employees, school board - who have chosen this amazing profession as their calling to pursue and lean into everyday, who go the extra mile even when it is hard as nuts, let’s continue to fight for what our students deserve. And let’s keep one another accountable in the collective work we get to do so that our young people are truly honored and our world sees a glimpse of hope when generations rise with compassion, creativity, and humanity.

One of my favorite photos with my middle school poets. This was taken right after rehearsal I held in preparation for our inaugural poetry slam finals. At this time, I was teaching 8th grade English/Language Arts (2010-2011). I think it's important as educators that we have keep our celebration nuggets close to our hearts to allow ourselves be grounded in the big picture, not just the fleeting moment that can be challenging. But perhaps that is for another post, another time...