Public school teachers need to stand up to Obama and his anti-teacher agenda!

I have to say I had such high hopes when Obama was elected. He said all the right things. It’s just to bad that after he was elected and picked me up for dinner he dropped me off with a black eye, a torn dress and a threat that if I told anybody what he had done then he would come after me. Well no more my friends, it is time we stood up to him and did it through the electoral process.

We should no longer tolerate the policies of his education department and the gleeful demonizing and dismissing of teachers by Arne Duncan. Today when the judge inexplicably sided with a billionaire over work protections for teachers, Duncan made it out to be the best thing since sliced bread.

“For students in California and every other state, equal opportunities for learning must include the equal opportunity to be taught by a great teacher. The students who brought this lawsuit are, unfortunately, just nine out of millions of young people in America who are disadvantaged by laws, practices and systems that fail to identify and support our best teachers and match them with our neediest students. Today’s court decision is a mandate to fix these problems. Together, we must work to increase public confidence in public education. This decision presents an opportunity for a progressive state with a tradition of innovation to build a new framework for the teaching profession that protects students’ rights to equal educational opportunities while providing teachers the support, respect and rewarding careers they deserve. My hope is that today’s decision moves from the courtroom toward a collaborative process in California that is fair, thoughtful, practical and swift. Every state, every school district needs to have that kind of conversation. At the federal level, we are committed to encouraging and supporting that dialogue in partnership with states. At the same time, we all need to continue to address other inequities in education–including school funding, access to quality early childhood programs and school discipline.”

It’s not.

I make this vow right now and I hope you do too. I will vote for gridlock in Washington D.C. and encourage my fellow teachers and friends to do so too unless Obama replaces Duncan and starts respecting the teaching profession and I am not talking about the lip service he routinely provides but with an actual legislative agenda. 

On the local level and state level I will fight for pro education candidates but on the national level I would like to see Obama’s last two years as miserable as possible unless he changes his anti-teacher ways.

Teachers having work protections is not a hindrance to providing a quality education and if Obama and Duncan don’t get that then to hell with them.