Listen Up: Give Teachers a Voice in What Happens in Their Schools (Opinion)

Listen Up: Give Teachers a Voice in What Happens in Their Schools

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 26, 2022 4 min read

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Larry Ferlazzo

Opinion Contributor, Education Week

Larry Ferlazzo is a former award-winning high school English and social studies teacher of more than two decades. He is currently a volunteer tutor to English-learner newcomers at a local school and to youth in juvenile hall.

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Teacher Leadership.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

1. What the Teacher and Classified-Staff Strike in Sacramento Means for the Country

If school district leaders changed their mindset about the concept of sharing power, students would be among the beneficiaries. Read more.

2. What Teachers Think Is—and Isn’t—Working This School Year

For teachers, mask wearing and student enthusiasm are working, while administration pressure on them to do more is not. Read more.

3. Teachers Share What They Want Central Offices & Public Officials to Hear

Those making policy decisions often don’t ask educators what they need. Teachers suggest ways they can be helpful to people in the trenches. Read more.

4. The Silence of Educators Is Dangerous’

Four educators share their thoughts on the biggest dangers facing schools, including the silence of educators, often keeping mum in the “face of injustices that in our hearts and minds we know are unethical.” Read more.

5. Educators Must Have a ‘Plan of Action’ to Confront Our Challenges

Three educators discuss dangers facing education today, including gun violence and teacher burnout, as well as shrinking school budgets that threaten programs and student well-being. Read more.

6. Teacher Leadership Is the Lifeboat to a Better School’

Megan M. Allen, David Allen, John DeFlaminis, Mustafa Abdul-Jabbar, and Eric Yoak, along with readers, share their suggestions for ways teacher leaders can respond when new administrators are not thrilled with their role or presence. Read more.

7. Teacher Leaders Are ‘Hungry to Learn’

Laura Robb, Kylene Beers, Susan Chenelle, ReLeah Cossett, Christopher Lehman, Matt Townsley, Anthony Cody, and Patty O’Grady contribute their ideas on teacher leadership. I’ve also included comments from readers. Read more.

8. ‘Schools Cannot Thrive’ Without Teacher Leadership

Regie Routman, Aubrie Rojee, Megan M. Allen, Shane Safir, Sean Slade, and Barnett Berry share their thoughts on what teacher leadership looks like. Read more.

10. Policy Decisions Must Be ‘Done With’ Teachers, Not ‘Done to’ Them

This post includes contributions from Randi Weingarten, Jody Spiro, Susan Ochshorn, and Meghan Everette discussing how teachers can effectively engage in educational policy decisions. I’ve also included comments by readers. Read more.

11. ‘Writing a Letter Isn’t Enough’ to Affect Ed. Policy

Karen Baptiste, Eric C. Heins, Mary Tedrow, and David Griffith share their suggestions on how teachers can affect education policy decisions. Read more.

12. Avoiding ‘Trust Busters’ When Making Change in Schools

Today’s contributors on the topic of making change in schools include Catherine Beck, Paul D’Elia, Michael Lamond, Julie Combs, Stacey Edmonson, Sandra Harris, PJ Caposey, and Kirke H. Olson. In addition, you can see quite a few comments from readers. Read more.

13. Change in Schools ‘Is a Process, Not an Event’

Educators Sally Zepeda, Bill Sterrett, Pete Hall, and Opal Davis Dawson share their thoughts on how teachers can encourage—and “embrace"—change. Read more.

14. Teachers Must Help Determine New Ideas Being Implemented

I share my thoughts here, as do Renee Moore and Kelly Young. Read more.

15. ‘Teacherpreneurs Can Lead Reforms': An Interview With Barnett Berry

I interview Barnett Berry about the book Teacherpreneurs: Innovative Teachers Who Lead but Don’t Leave (Jossey-Bass 2013) authored by Barnett and Center for Teaching Quality colleagues Ann Byrd and Alan Wieder. In it, they document the leadership journeys of eight classroom educators (several who are regular contributors to this blog) who are spreading their expertise beyond their schools, districts, and states—and even nationally and internationally. Read more.

16. We Need ‘Fewer John Waynes & More John Deweys’

This is Part One in a series responding to the question: “How can teachers best relate to superintendents—and vice versa?”

This post provides responses from a teacher’s perspective, with contributions from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Dean Vogel, president of the California Teachers Association; and Barnett Berry of the Center for Teaching Quality. Read more.

Explore other thematic posts:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.