July 25, 2018 marked a unique day in our international field experience. A national teacher strike was set to take place throughout Colombia. As an educator in Oklahoma, I am overly familiar with what it means to cancel school and leave your classroom in order to fight for a better future. In fact, I might be highly sensitive to such a practice in democracy. My initial instinct was to run to the frontline in solidarity with the teachers of Colombia. However, instructions from the United States Department of State indicate we were to not go near the strike. We were instructed to stay away from our schools and to practice extreme caution. Our safety was top priority. I had to find the right way to show my support. The morning of the strike I sent a message to the Truman Primary School walkout group asking for positive thoughts for my teacher friends in Colombia. Many messages of support were sent my way. Kimberly Schooler, a 4th grade teacher at Truman Elementary, send a video expressing her support. Truman Primary School's kindergarten team sent a warm video message encouraging Cartago's teachers to stay strong. Days later I learned that the teachers of Colombia and the teachers of Oklahoma had many of the same demands: adequate funding and wages equal to the work performed (to name a few). In the end, teachers are teachers. We are willing to fight for quality public education in all corners of the world.
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AuthorI am a professional educator, lifelong learner, and global citizen with a passion for travel! Archives
September 2018
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