Texas is not a union state, so I have never participated in a teachers' strike. We do have organizations that work on our behalf, but I'm not sure how much they accomplish. I was reading Alexander Russo's blog this morning, and he had a short little post about the writers' strike and how celebrities get involved in a lot of causes but seem to avoid teachers' strikes. The post is titled "Why Celebs Don't Walk Picket Lines with Teachers".
Maybe some causes are easier to win. I watched a segment on 20/20 last night that broke my heart. It was about kids living in very bad conditions. Although these children were in Camden, New Jersey, Diane Sawyer was quick to point out that there are probably children like this living close to all of us. The program showed one little girl who was initially so excited about starting school. Yet, her life outside of school is so terrible that she has to fight to keep any of her enthusiasm alive. One lady who had learned about these kids in an earlier segment is helping this child and taking her to ballet lessons. To me, this lady is more of a celebrity than the people who are known as celebrities.
It's easier to think that teachers aren't doing their jobs than to accept the fact that a lot of children are facing daily hardships that prevent them from learning. We have one district in our community that is made up of million dollar homes. This district is always an exemplary district. I have driven through this elite area of town many times, and it is pretty much "Perfectville". I never even see a trash can in front of a house (mansion) waiting to be emptied. All lawns are beautiful and free of debris. Perfect parks and playgrounds are available for the families to enjoy. Did I mention that this school district is always exemplary?