Becoming an Education Activist: Melanie's Story

The Short Short Version

A 4^th grade teacher sees firsthand how over-testing and funding inequities hurt her students and decides she’ll have to teach voters, too.

The Highlights

• I started teaching the same year as Texas’ first statewide test, so I’ve seen how an over-emphasis on testing twists everything to its will, hurting teachers, staff, and students along the way.
• Working in a high-poverty district, every day I see the impact of Texas’ inequitable funding system, where my students receive less than more privileged students who live just a few miles away.
• The $5.4 billion in education cuts that happened in 2011 pushed me to get more involved.  I couldn’t ignore the disrespect the legislators showed toward public education.
• I got involved by joining Save Texas Schools and made it my mission to serve as a resource for fellow teachers and community members, helping them make pro-public education voting choices.

My Story

My first year teaching was 1993, the year they rolled out the TAAS test. I could not believe how little say teachers had in what was done in the students’ “best interest.”  I was also surprised at how easily teachers accepted this lack of involvement. I watched frustrated teachers try to stay positive as they were yanked one way then another as legislators made decisions for school children they knew nothing about. I saw the inequities in funding and the inane arguments as to why some school districts should have more than others.

Then I saw 8 year olds becoming so stressed over having to take a test that would decide whether they would go on to the next grade level that they shut down or were physically ill.  I watched teachers (including myself) become increasingly stressed as more unrealistic demands were put upon us. Teaching looked NOTHING like it had when I started. And the transformation had just begun.

In 2011, the legislature decided to cut $5.4 billion from public education, while demanding more from the school system. The absolute disrespect for the students, educators, administrators and parents was so flagrant that I felt I had to get involved  to make it known that this was not okay.  I joined Save Texas Schools and participated in rallies in Austin along with thousands of other parents and educators who wanted money spent on education, not tax cuts.  I attended conferences and learned what was really behind a lot of the cuts, which only solidified my commitment to protect public schools.  I knew that the answer to changing things was going to be educating the voters so that the people who wanted to help public education were the ones making the decisions.  I joined several groups, spoke to the members, and helped organize several film series and discussion panels covering various aspects of education.  I have seen more and more people becoming aware and stand up against the harmful decisions being made by the legislature.  

Lessons Learned (and still being learned)

• Educating voters (and mobilizing them) is one of the most important services education activists can provide.
• Being right and having facts isn’t enough if people don’t pay attention, don’t vote, or don’t make public education the most important factor in choosing candidates to vote for.
• We have to be vigilant.  When public education is the biggest slice of the state budget pie and you live in a state that likes to cut spending whenever possible, you have to stay up to date.