Teachers Speak Out!!!

@EdWeekTeacher

Frustrated by a lack of opportunity for teachers to participate in policy decisions, a Florida teacher has launched a new website which aims to connect teachers across the state and address issues important to educators. Mike Rychlik, who teaches at SAIL High School in Leon County, Fla., told Florida Today that state leaders have done little to include teachers' input in discussions surrounding legislation changes and education reform, and so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"It's pretty depressing to go to House and Senate meetings and listen to education committee discussions, to hear how uniformed they are about the brass tacks of educating young people," said Rychlik. This is the same thing that is going on in each and every state. People other then in the field of education are coming up with legislation on teacher everyday. I am so tired of these people cutting pay and now even taking away teachers tenure. With no tenure how will teachers be able to think about what they are teaching rather then how to make higher level officials happy with their work.

"According to the paper, the new site, Empowereducators.org, will encourage teachers to "hold town meetings, share experiences and stay on top of pending legislation and election cycles."John Schaller, another teacher at SAIL High School, commented that websites like Rychlik's "will help teachers understand they have a say, too." Schaller added that he hopes the grass-roots effort becomes "contagious" and helps teachers realize that their voices are important to the education debate. Teachers all across the nation have the same feelings. I feel like teachers should speak out on the important issues. Teachers are losing rights each and every day because, of our state leaders. What is happening to our schools, if there are no rights for teachers how can they teach.