AVODAH Chicago consultant Amy B. Dean asserts that we move past the Chicago Teacher’s strike with more work than ever ahead of us to bring the nation together around education. 

“We are striking to improve the conditions in the schools. Right now the children are getting a raw deal.”

That statement came from a striking member of the Chicago Teachers’ Union… in 1969. It still resonates in September 2012, when the CTU’s members have again walked a picket line. Although it has often been obscured in the news headlines and in the rhetoric of city officials, the real message of the strike of the past two weeks is simple: We’re for good schools; we’re for kids; and, yes, we’re for teachers too.

There’s no shame in teachers standing up for their self-interest. When one is devoted to working for the common good over the long haul, taking care of oneself is a necessary part of being a good steward. People who go into the teaching profession don’t do it to get rich. They do it with the goal of inspiring and educating the next generation.

Read the full piece at Huffingtonpost.com.

What education initiatives that balance self-care and student success are on your radar? What was your takeaway from the Chicago Teacher’s strike?