Al Shanker died, after a long battle with cancer, on February 22, 1997. Al's first Where We Stand column appeared over 25 years ago on December 13, 1970. His final one is taken from an autobiographical essay, "Forty Years in the Profession," which originally appeared in Reflections: Personal Essays by 33 Distinguished Educators (Phi Delta Kappa, 1990). In the essay, Al talks about his lifelong dedication to "gaining collective bargaining rights for teachers and using the collective bargaining process to improve teachers' salaries and working conditions." He also makes it clear that the teacher union movement always had an equally important aim: making schools work better for kids. His tireless efforts, during the past 15 years or so, on behalf of high standards of conduct and achievement and against the fads and follies that threaten to destroy public education were not an "about face" but a logical extension of his trade unionism.

Archived Where We Stand Articles

December Dec13, 1970

Why This Column?

The teacher's job is filled with frustration. There are the day-to-day struggle to reach and educate the children, the endless petty chores, the effort to get special help for students who need it, the difficulties of getting the right books and supplies and now the near-impossible task of coping with school violence. This column is our way of telling the parents and the public where we stand on the important educational issues facing our city.

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