The belief that there is some conspiracy afoot connecting educators demanding better working conditions with the @massteacher's political aims is a gross misunderstanding of what is *actually* happening in schools.
Educators do not need to be "encouraged" by the MTA to demand better of the district for themselves. The truth is that this reckoning has been marinating for decades & the pandemic pushed all the inequities, struggles, and abuse out there for all to see.
Educators are fighting for themselves, yes. As a predominantly female driven workforce, educators have made do with less and less and less. We have been patient, creative, and flexible to a fault.
We have written grants, paid for materials ourselves, created accounts through Donors Choose, & relied on the kindness of strangers to #clearthelist.
Be let's be clear: we are not going to continue to be martyrs to a system that sees educators as dispensable, demands that we *only* look to the positive, and refuses to take ownership of having a hand in creating the problems that we discussing today.
A town is only as good as its schools. While some towns are lucky to have families who can bridge any gap with tutoring services & enrichment, this only serves to mask the reality of what is happening in schools.
The "Haves" continue to get what they need/want & are supported with those outside services. The "Have Nots" continue to slip further and further apart. This is not what education should be.
Acting like "business as usual" while also preaching about the importance of DEI initiatives and "doing what's best for kids" is hypocritical at best & at worst, continues to perpetuate harm on the same groups of "Have Nots."
We are actively harming kids by insisting that we skip along with the status quo.
We need the town of Lexington to dig deeply and reflect on its core values. We need the town to recognize that without the schools being at the high caliber that they are, the town would not be as a desirable location for families to move to.
We need the town to listen to its teachers. The ones they value so much and so fully support. We need the town to put its money where its mouth is; Actions speak louder than words.
We are not the same as we were pre-pandemic. We say that often. YET, we also expect kids to still be the same if we *just* tweak a practice here and there. It is not working.
Our students need support. Their educators need to be able to do their jobs fully and be trusted in their expertise. When educators say that the special educator are overwhelmed and cannot met every student need, the town needs to hear that.
When educators say that nurses are often so overrun that they can't take time for their own needs, the town needs to hear that.
When educators say that the demands of the job have increased so exponentially that they can't cultivate relationships with all of their students individually and that is a problem, the town needs to hear that.
When educators say that a lot of student behaviors are problematic, sometimes becoming violent, and definitely injurious to a child's projected success later on in life, the town needs to hear that.
Contract negotiations do not reside in the realm of everyone gets what makes them happy. Nor do they reside in an all-or-nothing landscape. Disagreement is inevitable. Productive struggle is necessary.
Acknowledging what isn't working and what needs to be fixed is imperative in order to make critical progress. Insisting on eternal positivity at the cost of ignoring the voices of those who are begging for help is heartless and counterproductive.
We are at a tipping point right now. If the town decides that they truly value education & the reflected benefits it brings, they will put their money where it matters-- into the schools for the students & into their educators to retain the excellence they claim to cherish.
Anything less than that is an insult to the professionals who have personally sacrificed so much for other people's children. Educators deserve better-they shouldn't have to beg for a living wage or to be taken seriously. Students should get the exact education they need.
Lexington is consistently rated as one of the best education systems in the state, yet we don't pay educators accordingly. We don't assign caseloads that allow them to meet the very real needs of students' IEPs, & LPS does not allow for much educator voice in district decisions.
If "we [truly] all belong," "embrace our revolutionary spirit," & GENUINELY model "compassion in everything we do," Lex needs to step up & prove it: reconsider how the budget needs to be reworked to fully fund the schools. #JoyInUnioning #BroughtToYouByCAT #DrLewisIsntTheLEA
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