Fight the Good Fight

In the realm of education, I believe “fighting the good fight” assumes righteousness and the belief that educators (especially educators that work in predominantly Black school districts or struggling and underfunded school districts) are fighting for a noble cause and they should be considered heroes and praised for their efforts. Instead, it should feel like a civic or moral responsibility.

I was in a zoom meeting with some well-intentioned coworkers. Someone mentioned that we are all here “fighting the good fight”. Most nodded their head in agreeance, A couple posted in the chat an amen or two, but I just stared. Their sentiment was nice, appropriate even, but the more I thought about it, the less I agreed. I began to loath it. I could sense that they felt proud of their work. Some of them have a reason to be proud because they do good work. However, I still couldn’t get past that phrase. The fight isn't over the curriculum or how it is taught but rather the system and how it is oppressing our youth, by limiting their resources, restricting their options, and stunting their emotional growth.

As educators in under-served communities, we should feel like civil servants, aiming to provide what our students need to thrive. School districts should exist to serve their community and they should be progressive and aggressive about providing that service. The staff within that school district should fight with just as much vigor as they would for the education of their offspring.