Politics in education isn’t helping students

Growing up, I was taught the original intent of unions was the fight for better wages and rights of the laborer. I was also taught that unions, through the years, had gained much more power and on a national level had become a political force — a seemingly different focus. I wasn’t that concerned. My original path led me to work as an accountant; no unions there. But a change in career led me right into one of the most powerful unions: the teachers union. 

I didn’t think about it too much when I started teaching. There was always assistance from local associations and it was easy to see how they worked with school administrators to help navigate COVID for students and teachers; however, I became increasingly aware of the union’s power and focus on a national level as the pandemic changed the world.

Like most teachers, I didn’t enter the profession to pursue politics. I became a teacher because I loved learning and wanted to help the next generations learn to love learning as well. Although I don’t always feel successful in my original goal, I know that I don’t want my students (or me) to become political pawns in anyone’s quest for power.

As COVID gripped the nation, it was easy to see each political party making a grab for power.  Republicans had the rollout of the vaccine in their back pockets; the Democrats had the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in theirs. What I didn’t see coming was the influence of the teachers unions, specifically in the policy decisions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with respect to COVID regulations and schools reopening.

 In emails between the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the CDC, a senior director reportedly “described the union as the CDC’s ‘thought partner.’” While the CDC originally planned to have schools reopen, guidance from national teachers unions changed the plan and the CDC’s wording was changed after an email discussion with AFT’s senior director for health issues, Kelly Trautner. Her suggestion that “in the event of high community-transmission results from a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, a new update of these guidelines may be necessary” was added to the CDC document without the science to back it up, the New York Post reported. Using wording from a union that supports Democratic politicians in a CDC document puts that union right in the center of the politics surrounding COVID.

Fast forward to today and many teachers are concerned about bringing students up to grade level because COVID severely impacted student learning. However, after listening to Randi Weingarten’s keynote speech at the AFT’s 2022 convention, I wondered what the goal of the union is — or should be. Is it to ensure that students are successful and reach their full potential, or is the mission political? It was 23 minutes into her speech before Weingarten mentioned students and a foundation that addresses reading, math and science skills. The first part of the speech addressed political issues such as the pandemic; the attempt to overturn the 2020 election; gun laws; the war in Ukraine; and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, changed how Miranda rights work, and made other controversial decisions.

I chose to listen to Weingarten’s speech because I was looking for guidance about the upcoming school year, not an excuse that blames parental pushback on false narratives and social media. I was looking for ideas to motivate students in the classroom, instead of disparaging remarks about the Trump administration’s handling of COVID. I was looking for inspiration that would help create a brighter beginning to the school year, instead of being told that “joy is an act of spiritual and political resistance.” I wasn’t looking for a political message. That isn’t going to help teachers and students be successful this year. What is going to help is a concrete plan that addresses what students have missed in the past two years.

Weingarten is correct that members of the AFT, which includes teachers and health care workers, “carried the country through the hardest days of the pandemic.” Health care workers were on the front lines but teachers, too, were working hard, trying to navigate remote learning with students and trying to figure out how to best serve students. And while all of that is true, how do we navigate the learning that was lost during COVID lockdowns and remote learning? Weingarten didn’t address that. Instead, she talked about “extremists” who are attacking public schools, exacerbating the “great replacement theory.” There might be some truth to that, but we need solutions, not blame.

Looking at testing data proves my point that teachers need help, not political rhetoric. In Illinois, for example, from 2017 to 2021, the percentage of ninth-grade students on track has decreased from 87 percent to 82 percent. A large part of that is due to COVID lockdowns; we need tangible guidelines and guidance to help students catch up. It is no mystery that the pandemic had an enormous negative impact on student learning and progress. Weingarten should have given more than a passing mention in her speech to how we might recoup those losses. 

AFT data further support the desire for a less political approach to education. An education poll found 81 percent of respondents think education has become too political. Additionally, the poll showed that respondents value curriculum that focuses on fundamental skills such as reading, math and science. The poll also illustrated the importance of teaching skills regarding money matters; critical thinking skills; and skills that will help students be successful in college and career fields.  

As we start the 2022-23 school year, let’s look at schools as the gate to children’s futures, not a union’s political future. Listening to the end of Weingarten’s keynote, I am reminded that I do need to acknowledge the humanity of all people. I need to look at my students as individuals who (hopefully) have a desire to learn — but who likely have issues that could hinder their learning. Maybe that is what I need to take away from her speech, not the focus on the union’s power in politics. My goal is to engage my students, not politicize their education.

Katherine Prange is a high school English and accounting teacher in Gillespie, Ill. The views expressed here are the author’s alone.