0 Should Teachers Speak Up?

Posted by Atsumori. Category:

The new Massachusetts' educator evaluation rubric promotes teacher voice with this indicator:

Indicator IV-D. Decision-Making: Becomes involved in school-wide decision making, and takes an active role in school improvement planning.

Yet, using your voice in the school can be risky business. Some rarely to never share their thoughts, others over share, and there are many in between.  It's not a one size fits all situation as the context, structure, and politics in every school and school system differ--no two are the same.

So, should teachers speak up?

Most teachers would probably say, "Save your voice for what really matters, and use your voice wisely."  They would say this because voicing your opinion comes with a price particularly if you're voicing ideas and suggestions that counter a school's current decisions or popular practice. Some teachers are more savvy, like clever politicians, they know how to lobby well, building support for new ideas and practice in deliberate ways.

Educators' interests vary too.  Some have interests that mainly impact the work they do in classrooms or specialist services, and others like to think about the bigger picture--ideas that impact the entire school environment or larger student groups.

Voice varies in school, and the acceptance and avenue for voice varies too. Some schools are open to teacher voice and have fluid systems of idea exchange, shared leadership, and growth while other schools are more leader-centric with little room for teacher voice. Most schools probably fall somewhere on the continuum between voice and no voice.

When I first started teaching almost thirty years ago, teacher voice was strong. Almost every endeavor in the school was led by dynamic, vocal teachers while the principal played a facilitator and supportive leadership role.  Now there are so many more leaders and laws related to the work we do that teacher voice has been greatly diminished.  It seems like savvy lobbying is more accepted than transparent share, and this seems true not only in schools, but in the greater culture too.

So what advice would I give new teachers with respect to voice.

First I would say, establish a strong, student-centered practice.  Your practice is the foundation for your reputation and your voice. The better job you do, the more voice you will have.

Then I would say that you have to speak up when it matters, but you need to think about the way you  speak up. You cannot stay silent if a child is in risk in any way--your first charge is to protect and teach children well, and you have an obligation to speak up if their care and learning is at risk.

Finally I would say choose your areas of voice and focus. A school teacher works with a large number of initiatives, departments, and leaders.  One teacher cannot be all things, hence it's important to choose the areas where you'll put in the extra time to research, share, and make a difference.

Many women in my generation (I'm 54) grew up with little voice and little choice for multiple factors, many of which had to do with gender.  There has been some positive change in this regard, but there's definitely room for greater change.  Better systems of support related to child care, family life, and equitable work place hiring and promotions will continue to build greater gender equity as well as equity related to race, class, and other factors that separate us.

Many women in my generation, particularly women like me who faced prejudice for not only gender, but other factors too, developed a strong desire to create positive change, and thus a strong need to use our voices with strength--a strength that is often looked down upon with regard to women as historically women, like children, were to be "seen, but not heard."

Voice is an important issue in school. Using and listening to voice is not a perfect science, and like most endeavors there is always room for growth and positive change. Voice matters in education today--the voices of children, families, educators, leaders, and community members matter.  It is our collective, transparent voice that will bring education forward to best serve children, communities, and our nation.

How will you use your voice?  That is up to you, a decision that matters to many.

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