Teachers are the lock and key vessels that empower many socio-economically marginalized citizens.
There are various types of teachers but for the sake of argument I will stick to two types of teachers. The type of teacher that is a strictly outcomes-based, content standards militant; the type that can create critical thinkers using a variety of methods and still manage to produce students that achieve the high test scores mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The former is often a gate-keeper of the status-quo and the latter is often that person in your life that teaches you how to find your own voice and think independently and objectively. While I think the definitions of content standards was a positive contribution to education, I believe that teaching towards tests may be producing a nation of disengaged processed oriented citizens who don’t critique details or question things when they don’t make sense.

Having the right teacher at the right time can make or break a positive relationship with education. The right teacher could inspire the fire necessary to make it through the k-12 system; leaving students with enough momentum and skill to make it through college and perhaps become life-long learners. This support is that which most parents with limited resources hope for in a public education knowing that such support is not guaranteed. Since the right teachers can impart: effective study skills, study habits, and knowledge, why are teachers in the United States not valued?

If the saying “Knowledge is power,” still means that information, education, wisdom or skill will provide a person or group with the tools necessary to “even the playing field” then it stands to reason why there are so many nefarious forces attacking teachers, their unions and supporters.
Education on history and economics holds the potential to politically shift the amount of active and engaged citizens who can champion the ideals of civil rights to an organic peak that might create and sustain actual equality.

You would imagine that many people would like that?

WRONG!

Face facts, Civil Rights has had a long, vicious history that has often ended with the violent death of some prominent leaders in recent history:

• John F. Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)
• Malcolm X AKA El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965)
• Martin Luther King (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

An influential person like John Lennon could easily be added to this list as a “non-credentialed” voice for general world unity and human rights. If you listen to the lyrics of the song “Imagine” one could easily see John’s perspective, it is believed that he was assassinated by a “crazed fan.” Of course, many people suspect that foul play may have played a role in his untimely departure, but I suppose we will never be sure.

The common thread of leadership and teaching through example among these voices leaned towards equality and human rights above politics and economics. This in theory would sound great to people who grow up in less than ideal conditions, but imagine what this must sound like to people who have been raised in a family with generations of wealth and privilege. You are asking me to believe that there would be much tolerance for the working class at the decision making table that is Congress when most people in America turn there nose up to rival schools. I believe that this has become a part of America’s culture that we should consider re-thinking.

I have had a hard time with the idea that the majority of people whom make decisions that impact people in my neighborhood come from homes and neighborhoods that could not possibly make appropriate decisions that balance our social, political and economic needs with ethical integrity. A brief look at our history supports that. Although the Brown Vs Board of Education decision of 1954 reversed the Plessy Vs Ferguson case that legalized segregation in 1896, it would take several more cases and military intervention on a federal level to actually uphold and enforce the concept of equality.

Any good teacher knows that it is not enough to teach pupils about such cases without providing the context of what it takes to uphold a law. The United States got its first big lesson with the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War, and subsequent 13th Amendment. Sure, a lot of people still think that Abe Lincoln “freed the slaves” and this was a nice thing for the Black people who were not part of the southern confederacy. However, a large population of people of African descent resided in the south at that time. Some sources say between 65,000 and 120,000 free and slave black men actually participated. Many were in roles labor roles or as musicians and some sources even say 13,000 were actually in battle for the confederacy along with some Cherokee and Chocktaw Native American Indians. However, when the war ended and the 13 Amendment was enacted, Jim and Jane Crow laws immediately popped up to take away or limit Black people of their civil rights. Poll taxes, grandfather clauses and lynchings were used to reinforce the second class citizenship of people of color. At this point, I am failing to see the difference between modern day austerity and the uncivilized policies that the USA has insisted is in our past.

Ida B Wells is an excellent example of a teacher that empowered her students and communities and made a difference. After the emancipation and subsequent death of her parents and a sibling from yellow fever, Wells became a teacher and champion for women’s rights and civil rights. Eventually this teacher became known as “The princess of the press.” Here is a teacher that lost her job for writing articles about civil rights, organize opposition to lynchings and became part owner of a newspaper. Wells was one of the founding members of the NAACP and a fierce organizer in the women’s suffrage movement; she even refused to march in the back with other black delegates. Ms. Wells made it clear in her writing that lynchings were used as a tool to prevent people of color from exercising their civil rights. One of Ida B Wells last actions was to campaign for racial equality in the United States Army during the First World War. This included publicizing the execution of black soldiers, often for minor offenses. So I can see how people who may not want to share civil power may want to disenfranchise teachers, Wells is a positive example of what a teacher can do.

Elizabeth Warren is a perfect example of the teacher that represents a “threat” to Wall Street and its banking Masters. Elizabeth Warren is the main proponent of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Warren has been fighting for a watchdog organization for the working class for many years. Apparently she is so effective that the draconian powers in the world are now doing everything possible to keep her from heading that organization and it finally worked; Elizabeth Warren was passed over as this organization’s leader. Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray was nominated instead as the leader to this organization; Professor Warren promises to be a part of that fight to bring more equity to financial matters in the United States.

I can see why Banking advocates would not want her. This educator and advocate identifies how income went up for married couples when women went into the work force in the 70′s. Warren also demonstrates how the average male actually makes $800 per month less than his father did after you adjust for inflation. Professor Warren provides a great discussion on how savings went down to zero while revolving debt (credit) went up very high. A typical 3 bedroom 1 bathroom increased 76% to rent/mortgage for housing. Housing is being built for the top 20% of the nation, no longer is housing being built as fast at an entry-level price. Warren also identifies that health care has gone up 74% after inflation adjusted dollars. I won’t even explore the 52% increase in money spent on cars. Childcare can be seen as a 100% or 1000% increase depending on how you look at it. After all you cannot “divide by zero.” The video above explains this in painful detail and runs for nearly an hour and is worth your time.

This is horrible when you consider that the National Education Association (NEA) claims, “An analysis of decennial Census data clearly shows that over the past 60 years the annual pay teachers receive has fallen sharply in relation to the annual pay of other workers with college degrees.”

Finances historically have a social and political impact on the shaping of policy and law so this is very important. Since the Citizens United Vs. the Federal Election Commission decision now treats the money of large corporation as “political speech” in elections it is especially important to have bureaus that will have the people’s interest in mind. The decision also does not limit the amount of money that they can contribute to a campaign nor do they have t0 identify who they are or which country they came from. However, if you are an American you are only allowed to contribute about $2,500 per candidate with limits placed on how much they can be given on a State, Local and National scale. See details here. See Building the CFPB: A Progress Report.

There are wonderful activist teachers that inform us all of the problems, offer solutions and hope that we either act on what they are teaching or do our own research and come up with alternative ways to solve these problems.

The majority of teachers come from middle-class or historically “class-mobile” families. Therefore disenfranchising teachers means that you are effectively disenfranchising everyone who is not “rich” including the working/middle-class, “underclass,” and impoverished families disproportionately. So fighting for the middle-class fractures the struggle of the working-class in general because working class people historically have been the allies of the most marginalized citizens. After all, if I am jobless or working in a position that pays next to nothing (read: education), I am much less likely to do any charitable work if I have bill collectors after me. We are now a two-class society. If you don’t see that your head may be in the sand or you may be living in a proverbial “ivory tower.” Professor Warren wants us to align our education, political interests and alliances to make a more solid middle class; one more capable of helping themselves and advocating for those less fortunate.

One of the first quotes you learn about power is that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Knowing we live in a world heavily influenced by business interest that often have reverence for Niccolò Machiavelli, Milton Friedman and free market capitalism, it is no wonder teachers and unions have fallen out of favor. After all the basic law of supply and demand mandates that if there is too much supply then the value of your commodity goes down. So jobs being exported to other countries gives the people at the top more power. Less jobs means more competition in the labor market for jobs that provide less wages, benefits and concern for safety regulations. This is devastating and you don’t have a job and tragic if you do. If you have a job, you are more likely to be betrayed by co-workers or in the very least be caught up in a conspiracy of silence when management is being abusive or unjust due to the fact that very few will speak out for fear of losing their own job. And who do you think is likely to bring this to your attention? Your teacher, professors and activists, those who want you to have a voice and learn to speak out when conditions in your environment are out of integrity. The Economic Policy Institute says that unemployment is 9.3% and about 25% among African Americans. Please watch Heidi Shierholz spell it out in the video below.

Education, Immigration and the Prison Industrial Complex; even the playing field?
In the last 20 years there has been an amazing correlation between special education and prison for many children of color in urban areas. So I can’t help but ask why we our federal and local governments spend up to 4 or 5 times the money on the criminal justice aspect of citizens than it does on educating children before they reach the point that they need “corrections” to intervene. The “trifecta” that is the prison, military and educational industrial systems has just reached an all time low. Besides the countless Americans that are unemployed and in debt over their collective head, Ithaca School Superintendent, Nathan Bootz, places a punctuation on how bad our nation’s systems of governance has become. In the Superintendent’s letter to Governor Snyder of Michigan, he asks to the point of supplication to transform a school into a prison. The National Center for Education Statistics does a great job with summarizing how much we spend per student in each state and True Majority does a great job discussing how much money the USA spends on War. No matter what levels you consider obscene, for me there is no doubt that these are all choices based on the priorities of our leaders. Leaders who through lobbyist are in the proverbial bed with corporations. Ultimately, our leaders policies are no longer in alignment with the needs of the average citizen due to our of the lack of money and earning power. In California, according to California Budget Bites, California rank 47th in per pupil spending.

Ben Cohen, one of the founding members of Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream is a great example of constructivist education. While he may not be a credentialed or certified teacher, he is clearly a subject matter expert who studies the subject closely. Since the age of the information superhighway began, peer education has grown exponentially and has now culminated in what we now call “social media.” Not only do we share and teach through mediums like: Facebook, Twitter, Digg and LinkedIn we also have our influence measured by sites like Klout

While writing this article I was reminded of the following by K. Radford:

“President Bill Clinton left office in 2001 with a federal budget surplus of $127 billion. President George Bush ran a deficit of $319 billion in 2005. Now Republicans are screaming about less spending. Those of us who are NOT stupid, and remember the financial meltdown of 2008 3 months pre-Obama, and the bank bailout, and the failure of ‘tinkle-down’ economics, Pres. Clinton’s budget surplus burned up by Bush’s tax cuts, unjustified war against non-existent weapons of mass destruction and kick-backs to corp cronies–need to come forward. Sure we’re immoral and going to hell in a hand-basket according to fundamentalists, but if the emergency is JOBS, then what is all this other crap at the top of the right-wing’s new majority agenda? FOCUS ON JOBS. Not off-shoring jobs, and giving corporations a reward for that. What is wrong with TAXES if you are so gung-ho American?”

Not only is my esquire friend correct, but her information correlates to an article written by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now called, “A victory in the war against profiteering.” The article discusses how Bunnatine “Bunny” Greenhouse won a case that she has been fighting for more than five years. Greenhouse’s employer, the US Army Corps of Engineers, gave a no-bid $7 Billion (remember that is one thousand million dollars times seven) contract to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) as the US was about to invade Iraq.
This peer teaching moment reminded me of this scandal in painful detail, including how tax-payers paid up to $45 for a six-pack of coke and up to $99 per load of laundry for our troops. The Ugly part of this Scandal is that Richard “Dick” Chaney was the CEO of Haliburton and before taking on his role as Vice-President for Bush in what many people believe to this day was a stolen election. According to Greenhouse, the decision to grant the contract to KBR came from the office of the secretary of defense, run by then Vice President Cheney’s close friend, Donald “Rummy” Rumsfeld. There are way more details to this case and I suggest you read the full article. But the point I am making is that our friends are also a source of new information and a reminder of important details that we should never forget. In the process of remembering context, I was reminded of the Downing Street Memo that demonstrates that we knew that there were no weapons of Mass destruction. The subsequent tragedy of Valerie Plame being outed as a CIA agent is connected to the Downing Street memo and the subsequent lies and half-truths of Scott “Scooter” Libby and Karl Rove. The reason this is even more relevant was as Bush was declaring victory and his poll numbers dropping, the WMD argument helped to get Bush’s numbers back up. In the end it did not matter as the DIEBOLD voting machines made it easy to rig elections in both 2000 and 2004 and George W. Bush was certified by the Supreme Court before anyone could prove that technically he had lost. Dr. Sheila Parks at Hand-Counted Paper Ballots can give you the painful details if you need supporting evidence.
To close the bend in the loop in the importance of teachers is perhaps one of the most gratifying steps; when those that you teach come back and teach you. Any real educator of worth is always a student. And as such is a life-long learner who is always open to learning and researching more. I am reminded by G. Lopez about the effects that education cuts have on immigrants. I am happy that Jerry Brown signed part of the Dream Act because America owes much of its success to immigrants. Yet as the video below suggests, “detention of immigrants is a multi-billion dollar business.” So what real motive do our representatives have to “fix” the problem if businesses are making 500 billion a year? ALEC is only one of the lobbyist that wants public education subverted and anti-immigration legislation to be more of a priority for leaders. As one of many educators in this world I would like to direct your attention to organizations such as Moveon, The People’s Congress, Peaceful Uprising, The Agenda Progect, Us Uncut, The Coffee Party, The other 98 Percent and the countless amount of disparate grass roots organizations that are focusing on re-aligning government policies to meet the needs of the average constituent.
It is now time to stand up in fight in the manner that best suits your personality.

If you are a person who wants to sign petitions, there is an org for that.
If you want to hit the streets of Washington and get arrested, there is an org for that.
If you want to help bring together the disparate organizations to be more focused and relevant leading to bigger more effective impact, there is an org for that.
The bottom line is that your freedom and your rights are now on the chopping block on a Congress person’s desk. Even if your representative has good intentions, they are fighting against people who have money and power to thwart their sincere efforts with the simplicity of a check or money transfer. It is not enough to write your representative, go see them. While you are at it you may want to look into the whole Tar Sands tragedy and how this will effect your drinking water faster than you might think while underscoring just how the corporate cabal is totally out of control.