Where do you you draw your line and take a stand with direct action such as we’re seeing more parents and teachers taking with refusing the numbers of standardized tests?
Most activism in America today focuses on indirect action that uses only the very narrow channels those in elected office have created for us–channels that allow us to meagerly beg them to do something on the public’s behalf (think of nonthreatening activities like lobbying, writing letters, emailing , and so on). Direct action, by contrast, circumvents the political intermediaries that the Establishment relies on to calm things down. The public brushes aside the politicians entirely and takes matters into its own hands through union-organizing drives, strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, ballot initiatives, and yes, shareholder confrontations.
When direct action occurs, the Establishment’s standard reaction has been to stop issuing flowery press releases and start talking with force. The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington – David Sirota, June 11, 2008.
My hope for those teachers who are likely to lose or quit their jobs is that there will be some way for them to hold body and soul together to keep working for the good of children.
When union workers went on strike in the past, there was a fund to help them keep going financially. What if we could do that for teachers who refuse to administer tests? Would more take a stand?
Photo: Carey, Chris. tildenville.jpg. 12-Oct-01. Pics4Learning. 2 Mar 2015 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>