Being a Voice for Teachers and Education

2/5/2014

Teachers, schools, teacher unions, and public education in general have always been scrutinized by both the media and the public. Sometimes education can be an unfortunate scapegoat, and sometimes there are valid arguments for why certain aspects of our education system need to change. As teachers, having positive public relations and a chance to showcase what our students are doing, creating, innovating, and solving in class is important. Those of us who are tech savvy have found numerous ways to positively share student work and bring attention to the brilliant young minds in our classrooms. For example, I utilize a classroom Instagram account to give parents (even non-English speaking ones) and the community a window into Room 208. I also have a classroom website, a Vimeo Channel, and this blog. However, we well know that the majority of today's teachers either don't have enough technology resources at their disposal, or simply aren't tech savvy enough to share that way. That is not to say that student work and great classrooms can only be shared via electronic means, but it does point toward the idea that not everyone in our profession is actively sharing and liaising with the public to create a positive view of education.

Here's a big giant fact for you:

There are nearly 400,000 teachers in the state of California.

When I visited Vermont last summer to facilitate a week of workshops for the Mobile Media Maker Camp, I was surprised to learn that the population of Vermont as a whole is a little more than 600,000. Folks there were shocked to learn just how many teachers it takes to keep the California Education Machine running. There are so many educators in California, that 1 in 9 teachers in America teach here in our state. With statistics like those, isn't it important for California teachers to have a voice? A positive presence to showcase the good that goes on in California classrooms? An advocate for great teaching? An advocate for student achievement, innovation, creativity, and access?

As one of the five 2014 California Teachers of the Year, this is where I believe I have been given a representative mission. Last year, I was nominated by five different teachers at my site and chosen by the whole staff to represent great teaching at our school. After also being chosen by other teachers in the district, I entered into a rigorous vetting process at the county level. This included writing nearly 20 pages of education essays; participating in a panel interview; and teaching during an observation visit from 11 teachers and other education specialists. My students, their parents, my colleagues, and my administrators were also interviewed by the panel at length. From there, the state process included more education essays, another classroom observation, and an interview with the California Department of Education in Sacramento. After all of that, being selected as a California Teacher of the Year was an honor and continues to be something I do not take for granted. Being asked to represent the good in California education, the teachers who work their hardest day in and day out, the successes (both large and small) that students across California experience each day - that is a weighty mantle of responsibility.

So, when I read conversations on Twitter about how the Teacher of the Year program isn't valid or doesn't hold merit, I respectfully disagree. It is important for teachers and public education to have a positive voice. I will use my voice to highlight the wonderful things teachers are doing across the state, to affect change when necessary and in whatever ways I can, to draw attention to the needs of students, and to stand up for the importance of technology-rich learning environments. This year is an opportunity for which I am deeply grateful.

If even you're not a TOY, you have a voice, too.

How will you use yours?