Teacher Insurgency: A Strategic and Organizing Perspective

The Teacher Insurgency examines the recent teacher strikes in America and their impact on public education, teacher unions, and the labor movement. It was born out of opposition to government policies and deep-seated changes in the economic climate, social movements, and educational politics. The author examines four key strategic questions and examines how to organize teachers for collective action, focusing on four discourses of teaching: teaching as nurturance, professionalism, labor and craft, and as a vocation of democratic intellectual work.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2020
Publisher: Harvard Educational Publishing Group

The Teacher Insurgency, written by Leo Casey, delves into the profound impact of the recent wave of teacher strikes on American public education, teacher unions, and the broader labor movement. Casey explores the underlying causes of this uprising, which stem from opposition to government policies that underfunded public schools and deprofessionalized teaching, as well as deep-seated changes in the economic climate, social movements, and educational politics.

To sustain the momentum of the insurgency, the author examines four critical strategic questions: the relationship between mobilization and organizing; the interplay between protests and direct action; the factors that determine the success of teacher strikes; and the significance of bargaining for the common good. Furthermore, Casey expands his analysis to explore how to organize teachers for collective action, focusing on four discourses of teaching: teaching as nurturance, as professionalism, as labor and craft, and as a vocation of democratic intellectual work.

The Teacher Insurgency offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing American public education. By examining the roots of the teacher strikes, the author provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics that shape education policy and practice. Through his examination of strategic questions and the discourses of teaching, Casey offers practical strategies for organizing teachers and building a stronger labor movement. This book is a must-read for educators, activists, and anyone interested in improving the quality of education in the United States.

Weight: 366g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781682535554