More and more voices are urging teachers to project their voices into the public debates on education. We hope teachers hear them and are encouraged to speak out, so permit us to connect you with several good discussions.

First, I took part in a Google Hangout panel on this topic Wed. night, June 19th. You can see & hear it on YouTube at your leisure. You can also see the chat that took place simultaneously at the Teachers Teaching Teachers page on edtechtalk.com . I was joined by a very savvy group of educators plus one journalist who shared their strategies and struggles in getting heard by legislators and government leaders. Katherine Schulten, editor of the NY Times Learning Network website was especially helpful about getting journalists’ attention:

• Don’t complain about tests – they hear that all the time. But you can describe what it’s like in the moment, as kids are struggling with the tests.
• Start with a lively story from your immediate experience in the classroom. That brings to life what the reporters & readers don’t get to see.
• Find a hook – something already in the news that your experience and ideas can shed some light on.

But we’ll try to get Katherine to tell this to us in her own words!

The second discussion is with the Education Week – Teacher Teaching Ahead Roundtable. Five teachers from around the country talk about their attempts and successes at getting to the decision-making table. As Jennifer Martin so cogently puts it, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” What a great way to condense into one smart sentence what this whole Teachers Speak Up website is about!