In the News

Teacher Strikes, Charter Schools and Unions

Neil Campbell explains why it is unfortunate that teacher protests against disinvestment in public education, low pay, and poor working conditions are becoming linked with issues such as charter school policing.

It’s been a year since the statewide teachers strike in West Virginia, and teachers around the country continue to protest disinvestment in public education, low pay and poor working conditions that stretched far beyond the Great Recession. It’s good that teachers and their unions are standing up to push for resources that will benefit students and compensate teachers like the professionals they are.

But in some places, we’re seeing other issues become part of the story around these teacher actions — issues like charter school policies that some teachers and unions oppose. It’s unfortunate that these issues are becoming linked, because it is possible and reasonable to support teachers in their fight for more resources for their students and classrooms while also supporting high-quality public charter schools.

The above excerpt was originally published in InsideSources. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Neil Campbell

Director, Innovation