In this time of uncertainty and divisiveness, I’ll begin by thanking Robert Pondiscio for lifting up the AFT’s magazine, American Educator. We are proud that it has been publishing cutting-edge research—and articles focused on strengthening democracy here and abroad—for forty-nine years.
While I’m glad he values our articles on curriculum and instruction, I find it odd that he singles out my one-page “Where We Stand” column as detracting from a union-sponsored magazine. This one-page space is where I speak directly to our members about contemporary issues most affecting them and their students. To suggest that this somehow undermines our commitment to instruction misses the moment we are living in—and frankly not just the threats, but the core purposes of public education.
The founders of this country believed that education was the foundation stone to the long-term viability of American democracy. Likewise, The AFT’s longtime motto is “Education for Democracy, Democracy in Education.” We believe not only that educators, students, and families should have a voice in their public schools, but also that the highest purpose of public schools is to prepare youth to be responsible members of their communities and our nation. Since the rise of Donald Trump, whose behavior is more akin to an authoritarian than one who believes in democracy, I have used this column to speak out clearly and consistently in defense of democracy. Context matters, and union members have a right to know where their elected leaders stand. Al Shanker understood that connection when he spoke out for democracy at home and abroad. I have no doubt he would do the same today.
American Educator is our most direct line to our K–12 and higher education members across the country. If Robert believes that hearing from their union leader is somehow a distraction from their professional mission, he doesn’t fully understand that our union’s purpose is to fight for a better life for all Americans. That requires not simply an understanding of reading and math, but engaging in how policy gets made. And Robert will be dismayed to learn that I also have a one-page column in our magazine for healthcare professionals, AFT Health Care.
As for leading on curriculum and instruction, I hope Robert would take time to learn more about the AFT’s work. To enhance literacy instruction—which Robert and I agree is critical—the AFT built and sustains several in-person and online professional development courses that more than 45,000 members have engaged with that are carefully crafted to share the research published in American Educator. We invest in and help scale Reading Universe and Colorín Colorado, and through our Reading Opens the World initiative, we have given away more than 10 million free books to children, families, and schools. Looking across subjects, our fifty-plus PD courses and 2.3 million-member Share My Lesson platform connect teachers with top-quality resources (from lesson plans to webinars) contributed by educators, researchers, and scholars.
Since day one of becoming the AFT’s president in 2008, I’ve crisscrossed the country, visiting thousands of members in their schools, hospitals, and colleges—listening to their challenges, learning from their expertise, and lifting up their voices. Those conversations shape so much of what I see. So, yes, I use my column to speak plainly about what’s at stake—not just in our classrooms but in our democracy. The real missed opportunity here isn’t a column. It’s the refusal to recognize that defending public education means defending the conditions that allow it to thrive—including democracy itself.
There are many roles to play in the messy ecosystem that is American public schooling. I appreciate Robert’s—as a journalist, analyst, teacher, and curmudgeon. And I hope he appreciates mine.
