The Strike

Martin Luther King, Jr., the ancients on civil disobedience and education, and my chaotic publishing schedule

“The fine, which began Monday at $25,000, could quickly escalate to $200,000 by Thursday night if Newton educators fail to call off their strike, according to a contempt order issued by Middlesex Superior Court Judge Christopher Barry-Smith. He penalized teachers after they failed to follow a preliminary injunction requiring them to end the strike over the weekend.”

- Boston Globe, January 24, 2024

EDIT: The fines I listed below were based on another MA district’s teachers’ strike. The quote above reflects what was actually decided in court.

The school week began with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and it ended with school being cancelled for the foreseeable future.

The teachers are on strike, and today my kid got a real life lesson in civil disobedience.

In the words of Aristotle, “Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it… We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate ones, brave by doing brave ones.” (Niconachean Ethics, Book II, p.91).

My baby’s first protest, out in the bitter cold. She made the sign herself.

We have five children, three of whom access special education services. In my son’s last year of elementary school, he had two special education aides (one worked the morning, the other worked the afternoon—it had to be cobbled together but it worked).

When my son graduated from elementary school we gave his closest teachers books on which he could write messages as a way of saying thank you. On the back of one of the books my kid wrote in Sharpie, “You’re the best friend a kid could ever have.” This was to a man who worked patiently and compassionately —through elopements, aggression, and other difficult behaviors. For the first time in a long time, my son felt seen by someone outside of his family. And, yes, I want this teacher to be compensated fairly.

He is not. Many teachers in his position are not, and the union has decided to collectively act on behalf of the interests of these workers.

Special education aides are not given a living wage which is the reason why there are (according to one of the reports) 105 open positions in Schedule C. These jobs are special education and kindergarten aides, behavior therapists, etc. However, one literally cannot afford to work this job.

Many of my friends and family members do not like unions. It’s a debate I wish we could have with less acrimony. I don’t believe completely true, good organizations exist. They are run by humans, after all. However, there are so many workers who are exploited, and their only way to voice their basic needs is to come together to amplify their message.

For those who don’t know, strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, the state in which my family lives. Here’s the law:

Section 9A(a) of the Law prohibits public employees and employee organizations from striking or inducing, encouraging, or condoning a work stoppage by public employees.

If the teachers’ union goes on strike they will get taken to court and the judge will likely fine them $50,000 for violating a court order to end the strike. Another $10,000 is added each additional day, which makes this no small matter for the teachers. However, the real price is the lack of access to education and other services for the children.

Classical Wisdom had a thoughtful post about Martin Luther King, Jr., Socrates and civil disobedience:

A key to civil disobedience (as Socrates and King would demonstrate) is that once we refuse to obey unjust laws, we must graciously accept the punishment, regardless of what is fair. Socrates accepted his execution without quarrel. King spent time in a jail cell for holding a peaceful demonstration. This is the key to civil disobedience and social activism. By suffering under the weight of unjust punishments, we demonstrate the unfairness of society; in this way, we force others to reconsider the true nature of justice. 

The strike is a last resort. A failed tax override, an unwillingness to rearrange city finances, and other complexities brought us here. Perhaps the fruit of this situation is that more citizens will become aware of our city’s fiscal priorities. We often learn the most through a period of suffering.

Aristotle believed that the purpose of education was not simply the acquisition of knowledge but for the pursuit of eudaimonia, (εὐδαιμονία) which is a way of saying human flourishing. In other words, an education helps someone become a good member of society, someone who exercises virtues like kindness, courage and wisdom.

We often rely on our teachers to give our children an education. Sometimes we give our children an education by showing them how much we value our teachers.

All of this to say, there is no school. It is utter chaos. Please bear with me as I figure how to juggle the kids’ increased at-home time, my three part-time paying gigs, my MFA class, and my Substack writing. I may post more frequent—but shorter—pieces. Or I may go a little longer between posts. I have a backlog of essays I want to put out. Recording podcasts or audio while the kids are home may become difficult. However, whatever I publish I hope you find worthwhile.

Thank you for sticking with me. I am glad to have disagreements and accept corrections. I am truly glad you are here.