Al Shanker died, after a long battle with cancer, on February 22, 1997. Al's first Where We Stand column appeared over 25 years ago on December 13, 1970. His final one is taken from an autobiographical essay, "Forty Years in the Profession," which originally appeared in Reflections: Personal Essays by 33 Distinguished Educators (Phi Delta Kappa, 1990). In the essay, Al talks about his lifelong dedication to "gaining collective bargaining rights for teachers and using the collective bargaining process to improve teachers' salaries and working conditions." He also makes it clear that the teacher union movement always had an equally important aim: making schools work better for kids. His tireless efforts, during the past 15 years or so, on behalf of high standards of conduct and achievement and against the fads and follies that threaten to destroy public education were not an "about face" but a logical extension of his trade unionism.
Archived Where We Stand Articles
February Feb3, 1985
The Right -- and Wrong -- Ways to Improve Schools Will We Pick a System That's Failed?
All across the country we're busy trying to improve American education. How? By applying the techniques commonly used by American business management --frequent evaluations to find out who is doing a poor job, career ladders and merit pay to reward the productive worker and easier dismissal for the weak and incompetent. But will it work?
January Jan13, 1985
Generations Compete for Society's Resources? We Care for Elderly but Not Children
December Dec27, 1970
School violence may not be the most appropriate holiday season topic, but it is hardly avoidable. While parents, teachers and pupils enjoy their winter vacation, Frances Glick, the teacher-victim of an assault at George Washington High School Annex, remains in the hospital. At last report, her head injuries we so severe that she could not recognize her father five days after the assault occurred.
December Dec20, 1970
The U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity has been pressing for the adoption of a voucher plan. While there are many versions of the voucher plan, the basic idea is to give the children (or their parents) the money which the public schools now spend on their education and permit them to spend that money for education in public, private or parochial schools.