I had the opportunity to attend Arizona’s State of the State address and opening senate ceremonies this past week, and you can be sure I jumped on that chance! As a citizen, it was pretty cool to witness. As an educator, it was not only eye-opening, but inspirational.
My husband and I have always been heavily involved in our community, and not always at a political level. One of my former superintendents used to say that a community is only as good as the schools it builds. Since my kids attend school in the community we live in, it became apparent that we needed to be as involved in the community and its school as we could. Even though I worked at the same school that my kids attended, I still worked with the site council, the PTO, and volunteered for family events (when I wasn’t already working them for the classroom). My husband went even farther and was elected to the neighboring district’s governing board because that’s where our children would eventually attend high school. We participate in as many community council meetings as we can, and attend different events. Yes, it is a lot to balance, but it is worth it! At 17 and 24, our kids are beginning to realize that they, too, have a voice and that it matters. As an educator, that political/community balance gets a little trickier. You can’t support one person from one side without people questioning your motives or thoughts, but then you can’t support the opposing side either for the same reason! Personal social media accounts get attacked when you hold a job such as a teacher: bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot matter, what rallies or protests you attend get noticed… I’ve seen it all ruin careers, and I’ve seen good teachers leave the profession because of it. As a former administrator, I have had to reprimand, and even terminate, teachers because they crossed our Teacher Handbook guidelines; as a classroom teacher, I have made the same mistakes I have reprimanded others for. I tell my students all the time that “free speech” still has boundaries and parameters (because apparently cussing out a teacher or classmate falls under the free speech amendment in their minds); it’s the word bomb on an airplane conversation, right? We may have the constitutional right to free speech, but we do not have the right to purposefully ruin another person’s day. Returning to my point about the experience at the State of the State address being inspirational, I wish I could create a parent workshop that addresses the importance of being involved in your child’s school AND community. Every child deserves to attend a good school and live in a good community. As parents, we should help to build it that way. As teachers, we have the responsibility to keep it the way the children deserve. Even if you can’t “fix” a school or community, you can certainly create the classroom environment you teach in so that the students are getting the opportunity they deserve; the surrounding community will only continue to grow stronger because of it!
Lynna Schiller
Lynna Schiller is currently teaching 7th grade Science at Cheatham Elementary in Laveen, Az. She has held many various roles in almost 20 years of education and has been in the LESD district for the last 8 years. While literacy has always been her priority, she has taken on several other grades and content areas including math and science. She began her secondary teaching adventure in the Phoenix Union High School District teaching 11th grade American Literature. She spent 6 years in a charter school in Avondale where she taught Sophomore English and Reading Skills and then joined the admin team as Instructional Coach and student advisor, testing coordinator, and part-time Assistant Principal (All at the same time! Ambitious? Exhausting!). After taking some time off to be Mom to her two daughters, she began working part-time in the Laveen District as an Instructional Associate using her knowledge and skills in literacy to work with students who fell far below grade level in reading; she enjoys working closely with other teachers to help struggling students find their own success. In leisurely times, she can be found curled up in her recliner with her stack of books, a cup of coffee, and her dog.