Happy Thanksgiving Message!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers! On a personal note, I am thankful I'm retired now, and happy to have gotten my life back.  For me it's Freedom 57. My birthday is tomorrow, so this has been a big highlight in my life this autumn, coming after a rewarding career in education with all its valleys and peaks.

I can't say I'm unhappy to get out at this point of time, for my own piece of mind. However, I wonder if sometimes I might not also accomplish more in working towards my union and social goals now that I am retired. The greater purpose I have fought for during my teaching career, continues, perhaps more effectively in many ways through my blog and other pursuits. The big difference is that now I can do it on my own time and the way I think best. Whew! Let me tell you, it's quite a relief!

I hope we are all grateful for our teacher unions, even though we are in quite a big struggle with them now. It is worthwhile to continue fighting to improve our professional standing as teacher union activists. When we do so we can also better help our students and schools.

I don't doubt that there has been a major disconnect, not only between the affiliates, but also with the leaders and the grass root membership, who after all are the union. Although teachers need to reclaim our teacher unions I don't doubt that the unions in and of themselves are essential to have and fight for. It is the true unionists duty to stand up + say so when we believe they have taken the wrong path. It is for the ultimate good + wellbeing of the union and of us all. It is cowardly and counterproductive to act otherwise.

Hey, at the very least we have set up and run a great retirement plan! ;-) Believe me, it makes it all worthwhile. We don't want to ever loose that, along with all the other important gains we have made as teachers in the workplace, and in establishing the importance and respect due for the many great contributions teachers can make to education and society. Education can't be left up to others, who we know can make quite a horrible self serving mess of it all, be it for political or personal reasons, what have you.

So, a toast to you all on the education front lines! Here's to us all having a great day of relaxation, a little bit of downtime to spend with family, friends and even just ourselves, before the struggle continues again on Tuesday!

Cheers!
Solidarity!

David C.