Go low…and be strong.

Please read this entire essay by A.R. Moxon, “Lying to Fascists” published by The Reframe.

As a teacher, one who’s been in classrooms/districts since the mid 2000s, I’ve seen the impact of harmful policies, NCLB, ESSA, the ‘big tests’ COVID building closures, tech, and now parents and guardians who vote against their and their children’s best interest.

I’m struggling, y’all. I’ve been attacked by Twitter trolls, doxed, and damaged. It’s traumatizing, but I’m not alone. And that is the issue. I think folks believe that it’s an individual teacher they disagree with and not looking at the big view. There are so many systemic issues in education, and sadly, the status quo turns out to be…am I scared to say it? You betcha.

One key pull quote:

“Here’s what I want you to understand today: These Americans who want to kill Americans have, through their intent and actions, already destroyed the thing you want to protect. What you want to protect is already gone. The reason we can’t live in a society with them is not because we have any intention to harm or kill them, but because they are eager to kill so many of us that they are willing to destroy society to do it. Either they get their way, and society is no longer accessible to most of us, or they don’t, and everyone including them gets to access society. Therefore, I think they shouldn’t get their way or be treated as if they should. These are people who intend to destroy whatever they need to in order to rule over our lives to secure their own personal enrichment and comfort, and are so confident in their success that they announce their intent. They do not care about you, and they certainly do not care about your good faith efforts beyond the extent to which they make it easier for them to seize control. They will never give you credit for working to find their rationales reasonable. They will never return the benefit of the doubt you extend. Our mission is not finding ways to work with them. Our mission is finding ways to sabotage their efforts and to keep their targets as safe from them as we can.” A.R. Moxon

https://www.the-reframe.com/lying-to-fascists

A repeated motif: “Keeping people safe”, and the people are my students. I am charged with keeping them safe from gun violence, (which I have no control over), keeping them safe from misinformation and disinformation, (which is often undermined by their parents), and growing their literacy and communication skills (which I have some control over), but no control over if they have enough sleep, enough to eat, if they have housing, if they’re making friends, if they have mental health concerns, or neurodivergent needs, etc.

Finally: act to keep people safe and free, against those who would harm them and control them. This should be our guiding light. I think it will be a clarifying one. I’ve spent a couple months talking about using differentiators to separate ourselves from fascists by doing what they can’t. This is the ultimate differentiator, the ultimate thing that fascists cannot do.

https://www.the-reframe.com/lying-to-fascists/

No wonder why there are so many attacks on public schools, teachers, unions, curriculum, etc. Because they know if they destroy us, working toward their fascist theocracy, we are not going to be able to keep anyone safe. I am not a brave woman. I need my job, and I love my job. So when it’s time for me to “just teach” I will — and that “just teaching” is still grounded in critical thinking skills, close reading, and a variety of texts and interests for students. “They” do not care about us, and we’re not going to change minds; however, what Moxon says is true: our strength is our care, our hope, and our love.

“This is the ultimate differentiator, the ultimate thing that fascists cannot do.”