(Above: post-event interviews with Alabamians who attended last week’s Teacher Town Hall in Birmingham)
Some of America’s leading education reform advocates hosted a town hall meeting in Birmingham last week that was promoted as an opportunity for Alabamians to come together and discuss ideas to improve our state’s education system.
StudentsFirst Founder Michelle Rhee, former Washington, D.C. Teachers’ Union President George Parker, and Steve Perry, Founder and Principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School, were the featured panelists.
Teachers and parents from all backgrounds and perspectives were invited to participate.
Here are some excerpts from interviews done after the event:
Chasidy White — Teacher
When people are passionate about discussing education, that’s a great thing…
I don’t think there is a clear answer on how [school choice] is going in our state, but I think the conversation was definitely on the table tonight. There were some thought-provoking questions. I think it was all productive.
Temani Beck — 8th grade teacher from Tuscaloosa
I came here tonight to get more involved in the education reform conversation. This is only my second year teaching… There are a lot of things changing in the system and I want to be a part of that change full force.
As a teacher and a person who came from a low-income environment, I didn’t necessarily go through all the best schools. It’s because of phenomenal teachers that I am the woman that I am… Because of those phenomenal teachers… I decided to become a teacher.
There’s a lot more discussion that has to be had… a lot of parties have to come to the table in order for that discussion to take place, but I want to be a part of that conversation, and that’s why I came tonight.
David Holt — Former teacher
The group of people who were here were supportive of the discussion, but didn’t have total agreement about everything. I was disappointed that the place wasn’t absolutely packed… Everybody in the state needs to be in this discussion.
Trisha Powell Crain — Parent and education blogger
It was good to hear the panelists’ discussion on how we need to know how the money is spent in order to figure out if it’s being spent wisely. That’s difficult here in Alabama…
The more we know, the better prepared we’ll be… I really appreciated them answering my questions.
Common themes that emerged during the post-event interviews were that people came to hear different ideas, they wanted to engage in a discussion and they wanted a broad range of groups and individuals to be involved in the conversation about the future of education in Alabama.
Teachers, parents, concerned citizens, school choice advocates, administrators, policy analysts, tea party activists, and individuals on both sides of contentious issues like charter schools and Common Core Standards all came together in a room and hashed it out for over 90 minutes on a weeknight.
That’s encouraging.
Meanwhile, Alabama Education Association boss Henry Mabry protested the event outside and refused to come in once it started, even when personally invited.
“Nah, I’m good,” Mabry told an education policy expert who asked if he’d be willing to come inside and participate in the discussion.
A lot of the teachers who attended the event were AEA members. Many of them represent the best Alabama has to offer. Even after spending all day in the classroom pouring themselves into the lives of Alabama’s next generation, they still made time on a school night to participate in a town hall meeting.
They care.
Unfortunately, their so-called representation is more concerned with making a scene outside and vilifying anyone who dares to challenge the status quo the AEA has maintained for decades.
In short, the Alabama Education Association is just about the most egregious misnomer imaginable. It has absolutely nothing to do with education and everything to do with power, money and control.
Alabama’s brilliant educators are ready for a real discussion about the future of our education system. They proved that at last Thursday night’s town hall.
But the AEA leadership proved once again that all they’re interested in is pointing fingers and making noise.
Alabama’s educators deserve better.
Trisha Powell Crain, one of the parents interviewed in the video above, said, “I wish that the folks outside had come in when they were invited. It’s always a better discussion when you have various voices represented at the table.”
Actually, Trisha, everyone who’s serious about education is already at the table — educators, parents and concerned Alabamians from all backgrounds.
If we’re waiting for the obstructionists leading the AEA to get involved, the status quo will never change — and it’s obvious that’s exactly what they want.
[Editor’s note: To watch the full Birmingham town hall event click here.]
Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims
