That’s true. I have always believed that protecting teachers voices protects children as well — in fact that is how a lot of us got involved in union activism to begin with — we were outraged about something that undermined our effectiveness as teachers. Of all the battles I fought with a bully principal, the one that mattered most was his insistence that ANY student could take an AP course, and would be guaranteed an 85, with an additional 10 percent curve. Go figure.

(Though, now that I think of it, all the battles with him — the dumping of third graders into larger fourth grade classes, for example — were about our kids. )

The article that follows Ravitch’s article in American Educator perfectly illustrates the importance of protected teacher voice that Ravitch highlights. In it, a DC teacher named Erich Martel describes how he spoke up — and got results — when his principal changed course grades from pass to fail by altering transcripts and “giving credit for clearly bogus “independent studies” courses.”

Martel tells us, “Quite a few students received a diploma despite never having passed or even taken a required course.” The grade changes violated the teacher contract, and the teacher contract gave Martel the voice to speak up.

Most of our advocacy is not about grades (though as Martel’s article illustrates, there are few aspects of administrative bullying that will anger teachers more). Mostly we advocate for safe and clean schools where the classes are small enough to learn. We speak on behalf of our children, and often we are their only voice.

And that is what teacher unions are about.