9/11: Teaching Tolerance

September 11, 2001….

I remember where I was that morning, just as all Americans do. I was teaching seventh grade and classes were changing from second to third period. A boy named Nick came in and frantically said, “A plane just hit the World Trade Center.”

My first thought was that this was an inappropriate joke that a middle-school student might make. When he persisted, I thought there must have been a terrible accident. As the day progressed, however, we all realized the full horror of the situation.

On the first two anniversaries of September 11, I had my middle-school students journal about the event and then discuss their thoughts. They talked about their fears on that day and some of their lingering worries two years later.

This year, however, on the eleventh anniversary, I will have a very different discussion and lesson with the sophomores I now teach. These children were only four years old on September 11, 2001. These are my first groups of students who weren’t in school on that tragic day. They have vague memories, but certainly no strong personal feelings from their own experiences.

As part of our nonfiction unit, we will read two stories from our literature book, one of which is a New York Times article titled “Islam in America” (part of the text and lesson ideas can be found here). A significant portion of the article discusses the impact of 9/11 on Muslim communities nationwide.

In the Toledo area, we have a relatively large Muslim population, and, since September 11, I have worried about my students of Muslim or Arab descent being subjected to intolerant actions and remarks from other students. I worry about any student being persecuted, picked on or bullied, but seeing students picked on because of their religious beliefs hits me particularly hard. I spent my childhood being picked on because of my religion, only I’m not Muslim. I’m Jewish.

I understand what it’s like to be a student with a religion that is different from the majority of other students’. When a Muslim student leaves school every Friday afternoon to attend a prayer service and classmates question where he is going, I think about missing school every year for the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and explaining my absences to my peers. I see Muslim students sitting in the lunch room with no food in front of them because it is Ramadan. I’m sure they would like to eat, but they maintain their religious convictions. It reminds me of the week of Passover, when I came to school with matzah crackers, while everyone else ate their sandwiches and Lunchables. When pepperoni pizza is the main course in a school lunch or in a classroom party, I think about how I used to politely decline this delicacy that my classmates enjoyed because I couldn’t eat pork, just like my Muslim students.

I talked with one of my students, Youseff, about growing up Muslim after 9/11. He said he has learned to laugh off the insensitive and ignorant comments people make about his faith. He noted that most hateful looks and actions don’t take place at school, but at places like the grocery store. Ironically, he said that he and his family are just as scared of the prejudiced shopper as the shopper is of him. He went on to explain that sometimes the people you worry about are not those that make off-color remarks or stare, but the ones who say nothing, but deep-down harbor ill feelings about you.

I asked Youseff about his memories of 9/11. He said he remembers leaving school at the Islamic Academy early that day and he remembers his parents explaining the tragic events — not that day, but a year later. He said his family knew things were going to change…

Things have changed since September 11, 2001. All of us who are teachers are old enough to remember that day 11 years ago, and the horror and uncertainty we felt. Our students from here on will not have those first-hand memories. It’s my hope that we can educate our students, not only about the events of that devastating day, but also about the importance of tolerance and understanding, so that they comprehend the hateful actions of a few are no excuse to be cruel and discriminatory to others.

By Dan Greenberg, Sylvania Education Association

I don’t have many distinct memories from Labor Day weekends. Over the years, Labor Day has been a time for cookouts, fantasy football drafts or catching up on sleep.

Last year, though, I did something different Labor Day weekend. I felt compelled, as a local labor leader, to get involved with the Issue 2 efforts, so I went canvassing with organizers from the We Are Ohio coalition.

As I walked through Sylvania neighborhoods that afternoon, I was informing people about the importance of collective bargaining with the simple message that Issue 2/Senate Bill 5 was “unfair, unsafe and hurts us all.”

I didn’t realize it then, but that Labor Day canvassing was a significant event, not just because it started me on the path to political activism, but because it was the epitome of what Labor Day is really all about.

Labor Day is all about celebrating American workers and their accomplishments, and many of their accomplishments occurred in an environment shaped by labor unions. Since the first Labor Day in 1882 and in the 130 years since, unions have strived to create a workplace culture in this country that is “fair, safe and beneficial to all of us.”

It’s easy to forget that 130 years ago, the workplace was not fair and safe, and did not benefit all Americans. Average people had to organize, stand up and make great sacrifices in order to make that happen. But as educators we have a responsibility to remind people, including our students, of the history of labor in America.

One of the best examples to use is the McKees Rock strike of 1909. Many immigrants worked for the Pressed Steel Car Company under incredibly harsh conditions for very low pay because, at that time, there was no set scale or measure for wages and no safety regulations. The Pittsburgh Leader reported that there was an average of one death a day at the worksite. When a person was severely injured or killed, “some foreman or other petty ‘boss’ pushes the bleeding body aside with his foot to make room for another living man, that no time be lost in the turning out of pressed steel cars. The new man often works for some minutes over the dead body until a labor gang takes it away.” When 40 workers protested, they were fired.  So the workers went on strike and workers in other industries joined them. They eventually prevailed, not only with increased wages, but also with a voice for immigrant workers.

People also forget that organizing was no small feat. It took strength and courage. Sometimes workers and their family members paid the ultimate price. When miners in Ludlow Colorado went on strike in 1914, they were evicted from their houses. So the miners set up a cluster of tents where they lived with their families. On Easter night in 1914, the National Guard and men hired by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, poured oil on the tents and set them on fire. When miners and their family members tried to escape, the National Guard shot them.

Today, most people are unaware of the McKees Rock strike or the tragedy in Ludlow or any of the countless other battles that workers fought that have led to decent wages and working conditions for Americans. They take for granted the 40-hour workweek. They take for granted weekends. They take for granted that they don’t have to worry about getting severely maimed or killed due to unsafe working conditions.

I don’t take those things for granted. I know what my profession would be like without a union advocating for me. I don’t need to look very far. I have friends who are working at non-union charter schools for low wages in classrooms where they have no voice in educating their students who remain silent because they fear they will lose their jobs. Last year, a friend working at a charter told me that the administration in his school decided, mid-year, to implement a new curriculum. A week before winter break, he and his co-workers were told that their break would be cut short for training on the new curriculum, regardless of whether they had made travel plans or not. Another friend told of her fears of failing students who had not successfully completed the material, because it could reduce the enrollment at the charter costing the company money and maybe cost this teacher her job.

This Labor Day, I will remember the struggles and sacrifices American workers have made over the years, as I walk with my colleagues in the AFL-CIO sponsored Labor Day parade. I will remember them as I canvas neighborhoods in support of political candidates who support organized labor and collective bargaining rights. I will remember them as I speak to groups about the proposed redistricting amendment, this years’ Issue 2 (“yes” not “no” this time).

It’s my hope that when people fire up their grills, gather for fantasy football drafts or hit the snooze bar on Monday, they too will remember the true meaning and purpose of Labor Day, the hard work of Americans over the years and all the good that unions do, for both unionized and non-unionized workers.

Public Education is one of the most fundamental rights of American citizens.  As a career public educator, I have long advocated, both behind the scenes and right out front, for public school teachers so that we can give our students the world-class education they deserve.  As a product of the Princeton City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, I realized early that the foundation I was given enabled me, with hard work and commitment, to succeed at the undergraduate and graduate levels at several of the area’s finest universities.  My grandmother was a teacher in Lakewood, Ohio.  Both of my parents as well as subsequent step-parents were also professional educators in Ohio’s public school system.  Yes, I had a choice about what direction to take with my life, but I chose one that has provided my family with many years of deep satisfaction and purpose.

Public education is the avenue for transforming communities.  Early in my career, I chose to meet the challenges of public service in an urban environment – the Dayton Public Schools, in Dayton, OH.  Unlike many cities, Dayton does not have pockets of wealth, so we are particularly hard hit by the current recession.   There is, however, rather a deep sense of community pride, which must be built upon through education.  This is absolutely crucial to the growth of our city.

[quote]Romick and fellow education leaders in Dayton, Ohio, understand the importance of a steadfast principal, a strong union, and a dedication on both sides to the idea that persistent and honest collaboration is the only sure way to save struggling schools.
— NEA President Dennis Van Roekel[/quote] So what can a teacher do to effect change in his or her community?  I was encouraged by colleagues to step into various leadership roles, beginning at the building level and continuing until my present position as President of the Dayton Education Association.  In this position, I have been able to have a hand in effecting necessary change in our school district while advocating for Public Education and public school teachers at the local, state, and national levels.  Change and advocating for change are both difficult, but through the work of the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association, I have been given the resources and assistance necessary to continue the work in which I believe so deeply.  As an example, Dayton Belmont High School was in a similar situation as Eastside High, documented in the movie Lean on Me, which profiles what we have come to know as a school turnaround.  Through collaboration with the building and district administration, school staff, and with resources from both OEA and NEA, the Priority Schools Campaign in particular, that school community was able to build an educational institution where there once was an out of control, dangerous, low-achieving building.  This transformation has proven to the local community, and greater Dayton that change can happen, and when people work together, instead of in opposition, great things can happen for the children we serve and the communities in which we all live.

 By David Romick, President, Dayton Education Association

---

[typography font=”sans-serif” size=”14″ size_format=”px” color=”#909090″]David Romick is currently serving his first two-year term as the President of the Dayton Education Association, the Ohio Education Association affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. David earned his BA from the College of Wooster in 1986 and his MA in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati in 2003. He is a veteran teacher, with twenty years in the Dayton Public Schools teaching Language Arts, and Special Education. David has been involved in Union activities for fifteen years, most recently serving four years as the Vice-President of the Dayton Education Association. His simple philosophy – Focus on the Local – has contributed to creating a collaborative atmosphere within the school district which has helped to put the Dayton Public Schools on the road to improvement.[/typography]

 

Through the past eighteen months, as politics have invaded Ohio classrooms, I’ve been proud to be a voice for public education.

Last night, I ventured into a whole new realm of public speaking, when I addressed the Ohio House Subcommittee on educational funding, at an open hearing in Lima.

It was scary.

I was on a stage, telling the story of my school district’s financial hardships, to a group of nine State Representatives.  Although I had written and rehearsed my remarks, I had no idea what their reactions would be. I had no idea what follow-up questions they might ask.

All I could do was tell my story.

I told the panel about my small community which prided itself, above all else, on great public schools.  I told them about the cuts, the concessions by teachers and other employees, and the impact on students.  I told them about trying to maintain the excellence, despite the deep cuts in state funding.

Then came the Q and A…

I answered questions specific to my district, as well as questions about levies and tangible personal property tax.  The one that was toughest to answer came from Representative Vernon Sykes.  It wasn’t a three-part, loaded question that took a computer to get the right answer.  He simply asked me, with all the cuts and stretching of dollars, do I feel like my district is offering the same quality education as they were before.

My simple answer was “no.”

I didn’t tell Representative Sykes, the rest of the panel and the audience that answer outright.  I talked about how hard teachers are working to fill the gaps and keep up their high standards with increased class sizes.  I admitted, though, that we couldn’t work at that frantic level year after year or we’d burn out.  I told him that last year’s test scores, which came after huge cuts and retirements and personnel shifting throughout the district, probably didn’t look that different than the scores from years past, but that I worried the scores could show decline over the next few years, as the full effect of the cuts play out.  I told him that, to deal with the reductions in staff, our high schools adopted an “open campus” policy, where students can arrive late and leave early.   I told him that the open campus has changed the mindset of some of the students; they aren’t as excited about pep rallies because it means they can’t go home as early as usual. “This may not reflect in any test score,” I told Representative Sykes, “but it diminishes the school community, which is an important part of the educational experience.”

After my lengthy response to his question, I did give Representative Sykes the sad and simple response, “no.”

I felt terrible saying that, and it’s been bothering me ever since I said it.  It doesn’t bother me because it was a mistake to say.  It bothers me because it’s true.   We teachers work as hard as we can, but we need adequate and fair funding to help us.

I hope Representative Sykes and the other members of the panel heard the pain and reluctance in my voice as I responded “no.”  I hope that my testimony, along with the testimony of other teachers and administrators last night, sticks with the Representatives and compels them to advocate for new policies that increase revenues for public schools across the state.

Reflecting on my testimony last night, I realize that, even though I had to respond to tough questions, it was a truly rewarding experience.  I had a chance to share my and my colleagues’ story with people who are in positions to make decisions that impact public education.  In the months to come, as November 6 gets closer and closer, I hope to continue to be a voice for public education, making sure that the voice of the over 120,000 teachers in Ohio’s public schools is heard.

 By Dan Greenberg, Sylvania Education Association

My mother always warned me not to be too prideful, not to gloat. Yet despite her warnings, I have decided to throw all cares to the wind and explain to you how proud I am to be a teacher, a veteran, and a union member.

I knew going in to this job as a teacher librarian there would be no medals for finding a child a good book to read or teaching them to find an authoritative website to use for research, yet I am proud of what I do. I find it to be a pleasurable occupation and love to show off my libraries when I get the chance.

In the short time I served as a member in the U.S. Navy, though I never served in battle and never left the United States, I am also extremely proud to be a veteran. I have come to realize that all veterans deserve tribute for having served anywhere, at any time, even in peacetime, far from battle.

[quote]But as for being a union member, though I was extremely proud to be in the union when SB 5 was repealed, after having doors slammed in my face and neighbors quit talking to me while circulating petitions, I no longer felt comfortable saying out loud that I am proud to belong to the Wooster Education Association, the Ohio Education Association, and the National Education Association. Sadly many of my friends think unions are evil.[/quote]  
Something happened to change that while attending the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly this past July in Washington D.C. It had to do with a fellow teacher from Minnesota, Matt Reuter, who was an Air Force veteran and had served in Afghanistan in 2011. Unbeknownst to Mr. Reuter, Minnesota law 471.975(b) penalized educators who went on active duty. A small deduction was made, to the tune of $11,300, to pay for his substitute.

Fortunately this outrageous requirement was fixed by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (see Educator Thanks Dayton for Helping Vets ). Teachers no longer have to pay the difference for their replacements and I have to say that I was proud when the NEA awarded Governor Mark Dayton the 2012 award for America’s Greatest Education Governor. Unfortunately Matt Reuter was still out his $11,3000.

Sitting in the Ohio section of the convention center, I thought that was the end of the story… until a fellow delegate got up to the microphone and said, “There are approximately 11,000 delegates in attendance. How about we all chip in a dollar, so Matt Reuter can get his $11,000 back?” I applauded, the crowd cheered and suddenly attending my first national Representative Assembly took on new purpose. When the hat was passed I donated all the bills in my pocket. Never have I been so proud to donate to a cause that would benefit a fellow teacher, a fellow veteran, and fellow union member. Never have I been prouder of my profession and my union family. In the end the NEA assembly raised $13,600 for Matt Reuter.

I thought about the evil image the far right media often portrays of unions and teachers and how ignorant they choose to be. I have retold this story to dozens of friends and will continue to do so until the day I die. No longer will I hide my pride in silence.

By Susan Ridgeway, Wooster Education Association