Vote for Equity

By Scott Jacobson

Why care about charter schools when they do not exist in your town? There is a connection between charter schools,


the type of education they tend to pursue, and much of the current approach to education in Brook- line. This approach, corporate education reform, invests the resources of the school district in standardizing the education our schools provide. This approach tilts teachers’ and students’ days toward impersonal drudgery. If parents do not notice this dynamic at work, it is due to the skill, professionalism and resolve of teachers.

Why does corporate education reform seek to implement this approach? The answer often given is that standardization leads to equity. This is the same goal charter school advocates claim in their support for Question 2 on this year’s ballot in Massachusetts: equity. Charter schools and corporate education reform are part of the same movement. In this movement teachers are sidelined, their experience, knowledge, and professionalism degraded. Corporate education reform does not include teachers in decision-making about how to cultivate better learning environments. To the contrary, this standardizing approach micro-manages teachers’ days and places them at a distance from their students. Brookline teachers have been asking for the freedom to manage their time so they can get to know their students, understand how they learn and tailor their approach to individuals.

While Brookline teachers have reached a tentative contract agreement with the School Committee, paraprofessionals, who provide direct support to kids who need more one-on- one attention, among other duties, have been left out. Paraprofessionals carry a large load and their role is central to equity in our schools. Their pay in Brookline is low enough to impede hiring. A para position in Brookline is not appealing so it is difficult to attract and retain educators in this important role.

Corporate education reform and charter schools judge education through, and claim superiority by, standardized test scores. However, the ‘achievement gap’ between white and black, and between low- income and well-off students in Brookline has remained steady over the last ten years. Something is not working. We need to listen to teachers and students to learn what works when it comes to equity in our schools. We need to listen to people of color when they reveal their experiences. We need to believe them and take responsibility by pushing for equitable policies.

When you vote this year you have an opportunity to make history by voting for our first woman president. You can also cast a vote in support of an important source of middle class, and largely women’s, jobs. In Massachusetts, 77.2% of teachers are women. Over 68% of Massachusetts teachers are between their early 20s and age 49, in other words typical child-rearing age.

When women fought their way into the workforce in the 60s and 70s, nursing and teaching were the careers most available to them. Even as women continue to shoulder the majority of the homemaking and child-rearing burden, a reliable profession friendly to women is under attack. Because Commonwealth charter school teaching positions are not unionized, teachers do not have reliable job security, often work on renewable one year contracts, and can be dismissed without cause.

It is reasonable to think that a stable home and decent income is a prerequisite for elevating the prospects of children in our society. It’s not just about having a black president or a woman president. We need to support policies that systematically help children grow up with options in life.

I urge you to get involved, look up the Brookline Parents Organization, and keep these ideas in mind when you go to the polls for national, state and local elections.