We can work it out
By Justin Serfozo
It’s not exactly being played as frequently as the song of the summer, “Despacito,” but the lyrics and vocal delivery of the Beatles’ 1965 No. 1 single “We Can Work It Out” seem to perfectly capture the mixed emotions many educators are experiencing these days.
I was listening to the song as I drove through the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark on my way to an AFT roundtable discussion on improving educational policies in New Jersey. When Paul McCartney sang, “We can work it out” in the song’s chorus, my car speakers amplified the optimism. The good vibes continued as I took my seat on a panel that included Phil Murphy, a Democratic candidate in New Jersey’s 2017 gubernatorial election; Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver, a candidate for lieutenant governor; AFT President Randi Weingarten; AFT New Jersey President Donna Chiera; and 16 educators, all fellow AFT members from around the state.
The discourse yielded several positive moments. Murphy was an attentive listener and genuine when promising to work in harmony with educators. His motif in the meeting was fully funding public education in New Jersey, a state where public schools have been consistently underfunded. Murphy spoke about getting away from the culture of teaching to the test and returning to real learning, proving he was in rhythm with what teachers are feeling. The meeting culminated in a crescendo with teachers vocalizing their concerns about the future of education in New Jersey. It was a powerful reminder of why we need to pull together and make our voices heard for the benefit of our profession, our students and our communities.
Murphy spoke about getting away from the culture of teaching to the test and returning to real learning, proving he was in rhythm with what teachers are feeling.
I replayed “We Can Work It Out” on my drive home. The combination of the music and the tone of the meeting with Murphy had me feeling quite optimistic until I heard Lennon and McCartney singing, “Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend” in the song’s bridge, evoking thoughts of current Gov. Chris Christie. It wasn’t the first time a bridge brought Christie to mind.
The hallmark of the Christie administration has been “fussing and fighting” with educators in New Jersey. His disdain for unionized teachers has fueled perpetual attacks on us through every form of media, extending into his everyday existence when he literally started getting in the faces of teachers during his infamous town hall tirades, in parking lots and even on boardwalks, proving that dealing with him has been no day at the beach.
Christie’s administration recently proposed a failed school funding formula with undertones of racism and classism. The cuts would have disproportionally impacted school districts filled predominately with minorities or children in poverty. The funding formula promoted spending $6,600 per pupil in a state where the average cost per pupil is roughly $20,000. It all adds up to a calculated effort to devalue and undermine the work we do in public education.
Betsy DeVos has only been in office six months, yet she has displayed an overwhelming willingness to create a harsh dissonance with the public education system and therefore in the lives of the children we care for and educate.
Unfortunately, the discord we have experienced in New Jersey is bound for a refrain at the national level. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ironically lacks an appreciation for education, as evident from a recently proposed $9 billion cut in education spending. DeVos has only been in office six months, yet she has displayed an overwhelming willingness to create a harsh dissonance with the public education system and therefore in the lives of the children we care for and educate.
That’s why I’m calling on all 1.7 million AFT members to get in tune, from New Jersey to Detroit and all across America, all the way to our 41,000 newest members “down in Puerto Rico.” I couldn’t leave “Despacito” out of my music analogy. Let’s band together as educators and raise our voices as one loud chorus: “We Can Work It Out.”
AFT member Justin Serfozo is an English teacher at Garfield High School in New Jersey, despite the rumors he is a special agent. He is the dramatic arts director and teaches guitar in an afterschool program. His brother is a music teacher and his wife is an English teacher in possession of skills far superior to his own.
