Stepping Under the Scaffolding

The wind was swaying the scaffolding at the state capital today when I made my way across the wide plaza after school. There were a number of people milling on the plaza to the south of the capital: a small school group, various business-suited types hurrying to and fro, and a construction worker or two leaning against the barriers in front of the steps. My directions said to step under the scaffolding and into the building to get to my destination. I often feel that I metaphorically have to duck and cover to speak about education with people that have very different points of view than I do on the subject matter, so why not do it literally as well.
 I have decided to be more vocal in sharing what I see in my school and what I believe will help support my students and colleagues on a daily basis. When I read the Daily Oklahoman article that quoted Representatives Mike Turner and Jason Murphy's comments on educators and parents who plan to rally at the capital on March 31 and the related blog responses, I knew I had to get started on using my voice. So I emailed Rep. Turner first and was surprised to get a reply. (I've emailed other representatives and senators in the past and not heard back from them...) He agreed to meet with me so I could share my observations in school, encourage him to support greater school funding, and discuss the high stakes testing my students must take.
I was hoping for an actual discussion about his strong point of view and the consequences of saying teachers are "participating in this gross abuse of your hard-earned money." Rep. Turner was willing to work with  my schedule and meet me after I left school. He was also willing to speak for as long as I wanted to. He was friendly and welcoming to his office. However, it was clear that he did not have concrete evidence to support generalities he made in the email he sent: "Let each school board sink or swim on their own merit; failed ones should be punished and good ones learned from." I pressed him for examples of "failed school boards" but never received a satisfactory answer. He did talk about hearing from other legislators and some school board members that there may be superintendents in some rural districts in our state that could be earning 300,000 dollars or more. I asked him to let me know which districts were paying that much. Looking at the state's report on superintendents' salaries, I didn't see anyone paid quite that much, and certainly not in rural areas.
We spoke about his view that schools should not be canceled for the rally. He proposed having an entire week in which only the amount of teachers that could be covered by subs came to lobby at the capital instead of canceling school. I reminded him that teachers are paid by day and would be making up that day at a later date, but any rebuttals I offered for why teachers should come to the capital (the legislature is unavailable during summer break, teachers are desperate to increase funding and decrease high stakes testing) did not seem to sway his stance.

As an allegedly bossy first born child, I would prefer to be able to say what should happen with education funding and then just have it done. And when that doesn't happen, I have to remember that it doesn't mean the discussion was worthless. While I did not walk away with a new convert to my views on education, I did not end up ducking and covering in my conversation with the representative.
It's actually sparked a desire to find more representatives and senators to talk to. I don't know what all I will be able to accomplish, but I am encouraged by the simple act of trying.