Points of Unity
Public education can revolutionize people’s lives. But rarely are U.S. educators called upon to take revolutionary action in order to defend and transform public education. Our public education system is under constant attack by the forces of corporate privatization and government bureaucrats. The quality of public education is being constantly eroded by standardized testing and the de-skilling of education workers. And for many students, our public education system prepares them for a life of drudgery at best, or domination at worst. From socializing the next generation of obedient workers to reproducing racial inequality and white supremacy through the school-to-prison pipeline, our public education system is in dire need of revolutionary changes. We are not afraid to say: it is time for a revolution in public education.
The Virginia Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators (VCORE) is an organization of union educators who believe that our working conditions are the learning conditions of our students. As education workers, we believe we must have a say - alongside students, parents, and communities - in the governance of our public education system. A fighting labor union, democratically governed by rank-and-file members, is the best tool we have in this fight. However, for too long unions have been afraid to take militant action to defend and transform public education. To win the fight for higher pay, safety, fairness, dignity, and respect - let alone a public education system that serves the people - we must build tight-knit networks of workplace organizations, which mobilize our colleagues and communities in struggle.
To this end, we organize within our union locals affiliated with the Virginia Education Association (VEA) in order to deepen rank-and-file democracy within our unions and wage struggles for the defense and transformation of Virginia’s public education system. Throughout the history of the U.S. labor movement, workers - including education workers - have formed rank-and-file caucuses in order to transform their unions into more effective fighting organizations, democratically governed by ordinary union members. From the Rank and File Group of the New York City Teachers’ Union in the 20th century to the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators of the Chicago Teachers’ Union in the 21st century, VCORE has a rich history from which to draw inspiration as we struggle to defend and transform public education in Virginia and beyond.
1. For Class-Struggle Unionism
Public education workers - including classroom teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, office workers, nurses, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, and janitors - are part of a global working class. As members of this class, we have a common interest in uniting with all workers through the organized labor movement in the struggle to win material improvements in our working and living conditions. In the course of this struggle, we must organize to overcome social divisions within the working class by struggling against all manifestations of racism (including but not limited to white supremacy, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism), sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism among our fellow workers, while simultaneously expanding workers’ capacities to democratically govern society. We support all efforts to promote the growth, development, and unity of a fighting labor movement at the local, state, national, and global level through networks and federations of workers’ organizations, and stand in solidarity with the struggles of all working people. An injury to one is an injury to all!
2. Against All Forms of Exploitation and Oppression
We are against the exploitation of workers by capital, and uphold the importance of struggling against all forms of systemic oppression based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, and age, which are themselves produced and reinforced by global imperialism, and advocated by fascism. We recognize that the struggle waged by education workers constitutes only one front in a larger multi-sector movement for liberation. Nonetheless, we recognize that schools are of central importance for the reproduction of the dominant social relations. From fighting racial oppression by ending de facto school segregation and the school-to-prison pipeline, to refusing to socialize a new generation of well-behaved workers prepared to follow orders and accept poverty wages, education workers must accompany and participate in the liberation struggles of our students and school communities.
3. Public Education for the People
We believe public education should serve the people—not corporate interests, government bureaucrats, and self-aggrandizing politicians. In particular, we believe schools should prepare students for self-determination in life, and encourage the people to challenge social relations rooted in exploitation and oppression. We defend equality of access to and the permanence of universal free and quality education for all peoples. We defend a democratic, secular, and scientific education system that serves the all-round development of students and their communities.
4. Union Democracy
We believe that rank-and-file union members should be responsible for and empowered to govern and lead their union. This means that transparency of information and direct member participation in the formulation of campaigns and campaign strategies must be the norm. At the grassroots level, our unions should be governed by participatory assemblies of workers gathered in our workplaces. These assemblies should be convened regularly, and be responsible for electing union delegates. These union delegates should be accountable to and recallable by a vote of their constituency. Within the union, we defend political pluralism and the right of members to advocate for different political perspectives and strategic priorities.
5. A Movement of Community Educators
We believe that education workers must not position ourselves outside or above the communities in which we teach. Rather, we should humbly root ourselves within our school communities, and accompany these communities in struggles for justice, dignity, equality, and democracy. In particular, we should support efforts to expand community control of education, and build an education system co-managed by educators, students, parents, and communities.
6. International Solidarity
The struggle to defend and transform public education is an international struggle. Furthermore, as part of the working class, we recognize that the transformation of our working and living conditions is a global struggle. To this end, we aim to forge bonds of solidarity among our fellow workers beyond borders and across all sectors and industries, raising awareness of and providing material support for class struggles erupting in all nations of the world.
7. For a Cooperative Commonwealth
We believe that working people should have control of the decisions that affect our lives and the resources upon which we depend. It is labor which puts food on our tables, clothing on our backs, and roofs over our heads. It is labor that raises the young, cares for the sick, and educates the next generation. From schools and hospitals to farms and factories—we believe that the means by which society produces and distributes life’s necessities and develops human capacities should be held in common and democratically governed by associations of working people for the benefit of all.
8. Political Independence of the Labor Movement
We believe that workers have distinct interests in society which are not represented by mainstream politicians. Both ruling U.S. political parties serve the interests of a capitalist ruling class. This ruling class is the main force driving down wages, privatizing public services, busting unions, and militarizing our school communities. We believe our union and the labor movement of which it is a part should remain independent of the mainstream political parties, and seek to develop an independent voice for organized labor in the political arena.
Public education can revolutionize people’s lives. But rarely are U.S. educators called upon to take revolutionary action in order to defend and transform public education. Our public education system is under constant attack by the forces of corporate privatization and government bureaucrats. The quality of public education is being constantly eroded by standardized testing and the de-skilling of education workers. And for many students, our public education system prepares them for a life of drudgery at best, or domination at worst. From socializing the next generation of obedient workers to reproducing racial inequality and white supremacy through the school-to-prison pipeline, our public education system is in dire need of revolutionary changes. We are not afraid to say: it is time for a revolution in public education.
The Virginia Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators (VCORE) is an organization of union educators who believe that our working conditions are the learning conditions of our students. As education workers, we believe we must have a say - alongside students, parents, and communities - in the governance of our public education system. A fighting labor union, democratically governed by rank-and-file members, is the best tool we have in this fight. However, for too long unions have been afraid to take militant action to defend and transform public education. To win the fight for higher pay, safety, fairness, dignity, and respect - let alone a public education system that serves the people - we must build tight-knit networks of workplace organizations, which mobilize our colleagues and communities in struggle.
To this end, we organize within our union locals affiliated with the Virginia Education Association (VEA) in order to deepen rank-and-file democracy within our unions and wage struggles for the defense and transformation of Virginia’s public education system. Throughout the history of the U.S. labor movement, workers - including education workers - have formed rank-and-file caucuses in order to transform their unions into more effective fighting organizations, democratically governed by ordinary union members. From the Rank and File Group of the New York City Teachers’ Union in the 20th century to the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators of the Chicago Teachers’ Union in the 21st century, VCORE has a rich history from which to draw inspiration as we struggle to defend and transform public education in Virginia and beyond.
1. For Class-Struggle Unionism
Public education workers - including classroom teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, office workers, nurses, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, and janitors - are part of a global working class. As members of this class, we have a common interest in uniting with all workers through the organized labor movement in the struggle to win material improvements in our working and living conditions. In the course of this struggle, we must organize to overcome social divisions within the working class by struggling against all manifestations of racism (including but not limited to white supremacy, anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism), sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism among our fellow workers, while simultaneously expanding workers’ capacities to democratically govern society. We support all efforts to promote the growth, development, and unity of a fighting labor movement at the local, state, national, and global level through networks and federations of workers’ organizations, and stand in solidarity with the struggles of all working people. An injury to one is an injury to all!
2. Against All Forms of Exploitation and Oppression
We are against the exploitation of workers by capital, and uphold the importance of struggling against all forms of systemic oppression based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, and age, which are themselves produced and reinforced by global imperialism, and advocated by fascism. We recognize that the struggle waged by education workers constitutes only one front in a larger multi-sector movement for liberation. Nonetheless, we recognize that schools are of central importance for the reproduction of the dominant social relations. From fighting racial oppression by ending de facto school segregation and the school-to-prison pipeline, to refusing to socialize a new generation of well-behaved workers prepared to follow orders and accept poverty wages, education workers must accompany and participate in the liberation struggles of our students and school communities.
3. Public Education for the People
We believe public education should serve the people—not corporate interests, government bureaucrats, and self-aggrandizing politicians. In particular, we believe schools should prepare students for self-determination in life, and encourage the people to challenge social relations rooted in exploitation and oppression. We defend equality of access to and the permanence of universal free and quality education for all peoples. We defend a democratic, secular, and scientific education system that serves the all-round development of students and their communities.
4. Union Democracy
We believe that rank-and-file union members should be responsible for and empowered to govern and lead their union. This means that transparency of information and direct member participation in the formulation of campaigns and campaign strategies must be the norm. At the grassroots level, our unions should be governed by participatory assemblies of workers gathered in our workplaces. These assemblies should be convened regularly, and be responsible for electing union delegates. These union delegates should be accountable to and recallable by a vote of their constituency. Within the union, we defend political pluralism and the right of members to advocate for different political perspectives and strategic priorities.
5. A Movement of Community Educators
We believe that education workers must not position ourselves outside or above the communities in which we teach. Rather, we should humbly root ourselves within our school communities, and accompany these communities in struggles for justice, dignity, equality, and democracy. In particular, we should support efforts to expand community control of education, and build an education system co-managed by educators, students, parents, and communities.
6. International Solidarity
The struggle to defend and transform public education is an international struggle. Furthermore, as part of the working class, we recognize that the transformation of our working and living conditions is a global struggle. To this end, we aim to forge bonds of solidarity among our fellow workers beyond borders and across all sectors and industries, raising awareness of and providing material support for class struggles erupting in all nations of the world.
7. For a Cooperative Commonwealth
We believe that working people should have control of the decisions that affect our lives and the resources upon which we depend. It is labor which puts food on our tables, clothing on our backs, and roofs over our heads. It is labor that raises the young, cares for the sick, and educates the next generation. From schools and hospitals to farms and factories—we believe that the means by which society produces and distributes life’s necessities and develops human capacities should be held in common and democratically governed by associations of working people for the benefit of all.
8. Political Independence of the Labor Movement
We believe that workers have distinct interests in society which are not represented by mainstream politicians. Both ruling U.S. political parties serve the interests of a capitalist ruling class. This ruling class is the main force driving down wages, privatizing public services, busting unions, and militarizing our school communities. We believe our union and the labor movement of which it is a part should remain independent of the mainstream political parties, and seek to develop an independent voice for organized labor in the political arena.