Metropolitan Teacher Leader Network

1. Metropolitan Teacher Leader Network Educators and Freedom of Expression Presented by Heavenly R. Montgomery Deputy Executive Director

2. What is a Teacher Network? Exciting forums for teacher and school development. Teacher Networks help teacher: • Direct their own learning • Sidestep limitation of institutional roles, hierarchies, and geographic locations; • Work with different kinds of people. • Break through isolation • Connect with people who are passionate about their work. • Introduce new skills (ie., presentation skills, grant writing skills); Meyers, Paul, Kirkland, Dana, 2009

3. What is a Teacher Network? • Feel supported for risk taking; • Become technology literate. Meyers, Paul, Kirkland, Dana, 2009

4. Why form a network? • Reason 1: Networks Connect Teachers to One Another, Removing Them From the Isolation Inherent in Their Work • Reason 2: Networks Help Teachers See the Value of Their Work, Increasing Their Value and Self Esteem • Reason 3: Networks Provide Teachers With the Skills They Need Outside the Classroom to Advocate for What They Need Inside Their Classrooms Meyers, Paul, Kirkland, Dana, 2009

5. Why form a network? • Reason 4: Networks Help Teachers Deal Productively With the Many Frustrations Inherent In Teaching • Reason 5: Networks Inspire Teachers To Action Meyers, Paul, Kirkland, Dana, 2009

6. MATLN Initiatives • We Stand For • Restoring “Elegance” to our profession. • Professional Learning Increases Student Achievement • Empowerment- Trusting teachers to do the right thing. Teachers having autonomy when they have a proven record. • Learning communities in building, district, state, and nation. • Something about including all students • Consistency for students keeps them focused • Collective voice for advocacy • Collective voice for political change-budgets

7. What Are Our Primary Concerns? • How Do We Overcome These Barriers? • We will do an protocol at our next meeting that will address these barriers. • We will form teams to develop action plans to overcome the barriers. • How will we address the division between teachers and administrators? • Educators have to become one. • Nation builders! • Putting children first.

8. MATLN and Free Speech In order to push forward with the mission of our network, we must have a collective voice. Our network will thrive because we will embody and communicate positive images of educators. On several occasions members have mentioned reservations about retribution for speaking out. I want to assure all members that the Constitution of the United States protects the rights of educators. We have the right to free speech and expression. We will not antagonize anyone with our views. We will always present ourselves in a professional and elegant manner. The norms that our organization will follow when blogging, emailing, letter writing, and speaking will follow the rule of law. There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

9. Due Process • Procedural Due Process • An educator must be given proper notice. • The educator must be given the opportunity to defend themselves in a fair and impartial hearing. • If procedural rights are not followed an educators constitutional rights are being violated. • Substantive Due Process • Prohibits the government from infringing on basic constitutional liberties.

10. Due Process • Hortonville District v. Hortonville EA • In this case, the school board fired teachers because they were striking and refused to return to their duties. The teachers sued, claiming that since the board was a party in the labor conflict, it was biased and/or acted out of ill will in the termination. The courts found for the board, saying that it was merely discharging its duties and that there was no evidence of malice or ill-will. • Cleveland Bd. Of Ed. v. Loudermill • public employees with a property interest in their jobs are entitled to pre-termination hearings. They must be given notification of the reasons for their termination and given the opportunity to respond.

11. Georgia Due Process • The Professional Practice Commission appointed by the State Board of Education works in conjunction with the Georgia Board of Education. • The Professional Practice Commission conducts investigations and holds hearings as a part of due process in Georgia. • The Professional Practice Commission makes recommendations to the Professional Standards Commission regarding action being taken against an educators certificate or application.

12. Georgia Due Process • Governor Roy Barnes worked prior to 2000 to provide educators in Georgia with due process instead of tenure. He believed that due process amounted to tenure. Georgia's 2000 Education Reform Act amended Code section 20-2-940 by removing fair dismissal rights for teachers hired after July 1, 2000. Teachers hired prior to July 1, 2000 retained their fair dismissal rights provided under Code section 20-2-940. (Toran) • The change in law was widely unappealing to educators. Governor Barnes was later voted out of office from a backlash from educators that did not understand the new freedoms that due process afforded them.

13. Teacher Discipline and Due Process in Georgia: (Ga. § 20-2-940) • Decision must be rendered within five days. If tribunal, local board will have ten days from receipt of recommendation and transcript to make final decision. • Appeal may then be taken under § 20-2-1160 to state board. • Superintendent may suspend, with pay, for ten days any teacher if charges are so serious as to present threat of harm to school.

14. Speech Outside of School Setting • The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives teacher’s same basic free speech as the general public. • Freedom of expression should not cause a distraction from educational procedures in the district of the teacher’s employ.

15. Freedom of Expression • The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives teacher’s same basic free speech as the general public. • Freedom of expression should not cause a distraction from educational procedures in the district of the teacher’s employ.

16. Pickering vs. The Board of Education • In 1968 Marvin Pickering wrote letters to the newspaper and criticized the Superintendent and School Board spent and raised money. He compared the Superintendent’s governance of teachers as totalitarianism. Pickering was fired as the district leaders accused him of fabricating the truth and defamation of character. The Supreme Court found in favor of Pickering. • Can Teachers Criticize School Policy? • Yes, teachers are likely to have informed opinions about matters related to the schools that they work in.

17. Pickering vs. The Board of Education • Could Pickering Be Fired If His Statements Were Inaccurate? • No, the inaccuracy of statements were not intentional. The statements did not impede the processes of teaching or school. • The Supreme Court stated “absent proof of false statements knowingly or recklessly made by him, a teacher’s exercise of his right to speak on issues of public importance may not furnish the basis for his dismissal.”

18. Educators Free and Speech Links • ACLU • Georgia Professional Standards Commission • Professional Association of Georgia Educators • Georgia Association of Educators • Edutopia • National Education Association • American Education Association

19. The Mission The Mission of the Metropolitan Atlanta Teacher Leader Network centers on three main objectives: • Create a professional community • Provide service to the teaching profession • Contribute to the knowledge base of teaching.

20. Create a professional community • Provide a forum for educators and others to engage in meaningful conversations about accomplished teaching. • Provide opportunities for National Board Certified Teachers and other teachers to engage in discussion about teaching strategies, lesson planning, technology, etc. • Create dialogue about school renewal issues, such as strengthening relationships between institutions of higher education and preK-12 schools, and exploring effective mentoring practices for new teachers, etc. • Build a professional school community where everyone is committed to accomplished teaching as defined by the National Board’s five core propositions for What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do. • Collaborate with NBCTs both in and out of Networks via NBCTLink (www.nbctlink.org), the National Board’s online community.

21. Provide service to the profession • Create greater awareness of the National Board and its work by hosting meetings, reaching out to stakeholders, giving presentations and other outreach activities. • Recruit candidates for National Board Certification. • Support candidates seeking National Board Certification. • Support and promote policies that offer incentives and support for National Board Certified Teachers and National Board Certification. • Recruit assessors for National Board Certification. • Work with schools of education to support and teach new teachers. • Serve as mentors to colleagues. • Collaborate with teacher unions and other professional and specialty organizations to promote exemplary teaching.

22. Advocate for National Board Certification as education reform by giving voice to teaching quality issues • Contribute to the knowledge base of teaching. • Publish articles and/or books about accomplished teaching. • Conduct action research related to effective teaching practice and improved student learning. • Offer local meetings, seminars and conferences, both virtual and face-to- face, where best practices are shared. • Present best practices around teaching, learning, and National Board Certification at education conferences and meetings.

23. Be An Advocate!

24. Who is your audience? • Teachers, Support Personnel • Principal, superintendent • School board, legislative committee • Legislator or staffer

25. Testifying Meetings Federal, State, and Local Advocacy Opportunities Abound! Email Blogs Social Networks Articles/Editorials Funding

26. Follow the Basic Rules for Advocacy 1. Know What You Want and Ask for it Directly • Have a specific goal in mind and communicate directly how you would like their assistance 2. Know who you are Talking To • Strategically Plan Your Audience • Your voice has the most power with elected officials who represent where you live or teach 3. Know How to Talk to Them • Use messages that resonate and deliver them in a meaningful way • Become an ongoing resource on effective education • 4. Know How To Follow-up • Show polite persistence, tenacity and stay in touch RELAX, You can do this!

27. Testifying • Read the full bill; familiarize yourself with the language • •Call the sponsor of the bill with any questions you may have • •Align your testimony with the intent of the bill • •Prepare and submit supplemental materials and copies of your testimony in advance • •Arrive early, but be prepared to stay late

28. Five Steps to Effective Messaging 1.Relevant: Demonstrate relevancy to people represented by official, and try to connect to issues on which the policymaker cares about 2.Specific: Be specific about the “ask.” “Will you visit my classroom?” “Will you support funding for NBPTS?”

29. Five Steps to Effective Messaging Truthful: Always be sure of the facts you share with a policymaker. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. 4. Positive and Solution Oriented: You are much more likely to be heard if you are polite and offer solutions to problems you identify. 5. Be Brief: Be ready to make your case in 5 minutes. Stick to key messages. Less is more.

30. Connect with other teacher advocates! • Facebook-Teachers’ Letters to Obama group • Blogs -http://www.edutopia.org/blogs • http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/blogs/index.html • http://www.edweek.org/tm/collections/teacher-leaders-network/index.html?intc=mt • Virtual Community –www.nbctlink.org • NBCT Networks http://www.nbpts.org/for_nbcts/network_affiliates • http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=CE287E90-C9B8-11DF-A1A9000C296BA163 • http://metropolitanatlantateacherleader.weebly.com/

31. Questions?