I’ve gone to Trenton many times over my career with PEF. It has always been to advocate for Paterson’s children. I’ll be going again in February to discuss Pateson Reads as a model for other communities to improve early learning.
Ar Wednesday night’s school board meeting, when I called for teachers and advocates to focus on advocacy in Trenton, I had a lot more in mind than settling a labor contract.
I want to discuss how increased testing reduces classroom instruction. Who better than a teacher to describe what is happening? I want to discuss interference in school programming that reduces students’ opportunity to learn. Who better than a teacher to describe what is happening? I want to discuss principal leadership under the new evaluation regime. Who better than a teacher to describe what is happening?
I can make a case for going to Trenton to gain resources for students that includes a stable contractual relationship with our teachers, but only in the context of these larger issues. That’s when I’ll get on the bus.
Yours for Paterson’s children,
Irene