An Unusual Book Review
TL;DR: This book articulates how corporate-mindedness has rotted out collectivist institutions, like my own union, ignoring that the students in poverty are the ones who always end up losing while adults negotiate their win-win agreements.
Anand Giridharadas’ book is not about unions at all. Given my current predicament, though, the thoughts this book conjured up for me extended to union culture in surprising ways.
The attitude Giridharadas depicts in his reportage of a few ambitious leaders, is captured in a quote from Oscar Wilde from a century ago:
“Just as the worst slave-owners were those who were kind to their slaves, and so prevented the horror of the system being realized by those who suffered from it, and understood by those who contemplated it, so, in the present state of things in England, the people who do most harm are the people who try to do most good.”
To wit:
“Republicans and Democrats alike, grew dependent on the special talents of consultants and financiers in making decisions about how to run the nation.”
“We must decide whether, in the name of ascendant values such as efficiency and scale, we are willing to allow democratic purpose to be usurped by private actors who often genuinely aspire to improve things but, first things first, seek to protect themselves.”
I can’t even tell you how much this book resonates with me as a government worker, a union member, a principal of an alternative inner city high school serving kids in extreme poverty. As cited in Stiglitz’s review in the New York Times, the book delves into how the “elite would save the world through social impact investing, entrepreneurship, sustainable capitalism, philanthro-capitalism, artificial intelligence, market-driven solutions. They would fund a million of these buzzwordy programs rather than fundamentally question the rules of the game — or even alter their own behavior to reduce the harm of the existing distorted, inefficient and unfair rules.”
The dynamic of spending huge sums of money to change things while ultimately keeping them fundamentally the same described in this book is equally familiar to anyone familiar with education policy. Education has essentially remained unchanged for a the past one hundred and fifty years despite countless reform efforts. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the influence of the elite over governments described by Mr. Giridharadas extends equally to education. But I was somewhat surprised to see my union from the angle he paints of international corporate jet setters and political party elites.
Perhaps education has made so little progress because if our public schools actually worked, our democracy might come alive, and the ruling elites would face the changes they have been resisting. Silicon Valley billionaires would have to wake up and step out of their bubbles to understand what was happening at the ballot box. May be the elites don’t want my students who live in poverty to become articulate about the simple imbalances of power that stack the deck against them.
This book makes a well-reasoned case that top-down corporate culture has infected our democratic crowd-driven institutions. It turns out the description is rather apt for my professional union: the Council of Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), as well. Is this even a union I have or was there a corporate takeover I missed somewhere along the line?
Corporatized unions like my own may just be part and parcel of the Democratic machine elites that brought us solutions from Gates, for example, which wasted billions of dollars in education consultants with no results. Had they just given that money to principals who have dedicated a career to a single public school community, no strings attached, they could have seen real results. Like the jet setting class of philanthrocapitalists, these unions may be well intentioned, but they are totally out of touch with reality and unable to lead lasting structural changes for our school communities.
Like the Gates Foundation, these are amazingly intelligent people at my union. People who are do-gooders by nature. With historic roots to education. But they have gotten so caught up in a bubble of political power that they have forgotten the students in poor schools, especially, like everyone else.
A corporate-mindedness has taken hold which has turned a “union of professionals” into a top-down machine, throwing aside the collective in collective bargaining in favor of some kind of centralized efficiency. The expertise of union members who work day-to-day on the ground for actual students with specific needs are not what drives union policy. That would be messy. Instead, initiatives from thought leaders with over simplified mental modals and their teams of consultants who push a one-size-fits-all solution are the sanitized version of change making that is preferred. And thus, the students fall out of focus because they are complicated individuals. And thus, principals have less and less time for their union which has lost site of the students. And thus, a top-down control is maintained by those in power.
“CSA really sucks,” we frequently admit to each other before laughing a sad, half-hearted laugh. Many of us even feel that part of our job is to protect our school communities from our unions and from central offices who drop directives and contracts from on high: “keep those lawyers and politicians out of our building!”
I still pay dues even after the Janus ruling because I don’t have a better option where to put that $184/month that buys my share of contract bargaining, which I value. Just because I don’t have a collective, doesn’t mean I also give up on the bargaining part. I remain committed to the union rediscovering a collectivist organizational structure. Mostly because the members are dear to me. The principalship is a lonely job and this community is where I find great comfort. But the people charged with organizing us as professionals, the CSA, don’t much care for what is important to those fearless leaders that are in the job day-to-day.
Giridharadas quotes Dani Rodrik: “if you have an understanding of the world that’s currently faulty, how are you going to find that out?“ Out of touch with the reality of school communities, corporate union culture is turning knobs in conference rooms that impact the purse strings of workers as they negotiate contracts. They claim to believe in education reform as long as these reforms don’t actually change anything in the adult power dynamics that define and often destroy our schools. May be it’s not smart to attack my own union, but someone has to point out that their understanding of our world as administrators is currently faulty. I tried to tell them in private meetings, in emails. Now I am putting it out there for any readers who may be active administrators in New York City to ponder with me.
What if our union were all about the kids? Any principal has time if that time is spent to improve the lives of students. If you are a transfer school principal, you know what I mean. We need a working relationship with city agencies and other unions. We know that. But we cannot leave the kids in the dust as we pander to those with power. I feel that someone’s theory of action at a central office involved having one fewer alternative school on their spreadsheet and Central Harlem was a good location for that to happen. Hence the attacks against our school community. And my union felt that as long as they protect my paycheck, who cares what happens to that school community? And the fact that I had to go six months without a paycheck and that my paychecks keep getting accidentally lost and so on and so forth… those are not of union concern. Somehow.
Why can’t we be one of those unions that doesn’t forget about the communities we serve? It shouldn’t be about my paycheck, but without that it’s hard for me to take care of others around me. Especially those in extreme poverty. Imagine a union that gives respect to those who came before us, those who fought for social justice and collective organizing. Something like the Hippocratic Oath but for educational administrators — a reminder to each other to never forget the students when we gather professionally.
Giridharadas’ book reminded me to value unions as they are gatherings of real people. As is politics. As imperfect as these are, they are democratic in their origin and instead of starting something new just because of an infection of globalized corporate thinking, we can seek to reform these historic institutions to their social roots.
For where, other than a union hall, must school administrators debate our professional responsibility. To the kids. To the young people who are blossoming. If only they are given a little bit of fertile soil. My union disagrees. My union lawyer’s culture has no responsibility to them. Adults first. Students never. “It’s naïve to want to bring it back to the students all the time,” I am told by union leaders and city officials alike. Forgetting that THESE adults that they represent have given THEIR professional lives for the benefit of students. That’s just who we are. WTF? Why does my union feel more like a corporate executive consulting firm than a union hall? Where can I find a union hall?
We fight against our cultural warship of the 0.01% who have the money to fund initiatives in education, including state and federal government programs. We seek approval of an upper class who isolate themselves, not even in ivory towers, but in less substantial denim and silk and leather tower apartments in globalized cities. Peering out at the difference they make with their financial contributions through spreadsheet windows on the world. Conference-going jet setters whom Giridharadas names “MarketWorld,” who forget the roots and rhythm, but the roots and rhythm remain.
The learning environment we have tirelessly carved out for students… that is our laser focus. But the lawyers have lawyered with each other to the point that they cannot say what is best for students, that is not even their circle of concern, nor expertise. Inclusive of the top lawyer at the NYCDOE. But I demur. Our strength comes in defending the needs of our students. For consistency. For individualized care. For demanding adults who are professional and who get along and believe in those students, unconditionally.
The NYTimes did an investigative piece about three of us CSA principals being bullied by our employer, to the detriment of students. We approached our union to set up a meeting to discuss the issue. If this could happen to us, it could happen to any CSA member, we reasoned. Our union demanded individual meetings. Splitting us apart. Divide and conquer. This is c-suite thinking. I’m not saying it doesn’t make sense how the union thinks from a legal perspective. I’m saying the logic used to make sense is one that gives deference to those with money and power, rather than to organize those that are focused on educating young people in poverty.
Is a union nothing more than an education-industrial-complex-derivative-lobbying organization where the lawyer’s advice is loudest? What happened to being educators? What happened to unionism? Professionalism? We have almost lost sight of the administrators we are meant to organize, let alone the kids they serve. I speak from first-hand experience. We could never come out with a press release standing up for you! Our relationship with the mayor is more important for contract negotiations that are best for us all… I get it. But must we ignore the students’ lives, their futures, these formative years melting away in a dysfunctional toxic school culture? It’s heartbreaking.
At my last court appearance I had no remain completely silent. It was the lawyers and the judge who worked things out for me, for my students, for my staff. They are the legal experts and I humbly deferred. But it reminded me how my union is probably the best place to bring a renewed attention on student outcomes, since the courtroom is clearly not the right venue.
I am under attack because my community is a second chance school in Central Harlem. Odd as that may be, given my white skin color, my Japanese wife and I dedicated our professional lives to this one particular magical community. It is because of our clientele’s lack of power in society, their lack of resources, their criminal records, even, that attacks against me are allowed to proceed. If I worked for affluent parents, I would never be exposed to such baseless attacks which have destroyed fifteen years of hard work and millions of dollars in fundraising for the long term sustainability of our community. It simply would not happen.
What happened to my union? They have been abducted. Hiding my fellow union members behind a veil of political calculations. Data speaks for itself when it is overwhelmingly in support if the sentiments of those on the ground. Look at suspensions. Look at graduation rates. Who is doing that work at the union to fuel a fight in support of healthy school communities? We leave that analysis to our members to do individually, in isolation.
“Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,” made me notice the culture behind the type of “change making” that my union leaders have bought into. My fate was decided by people who know nothing of the work that I did, have very little interest in what was achieved, and ask that I remain quiet and preferably not attend the key meetings where my community’s fate will be determined. And the system is working for me! I’m a powerful white male. I’ll probably get a favorable ruling in the end. But that won’t change these years of fighting as kids lives slip away from adult supervision. This is not about my paycheck or my winning or losing. I’ll be fine. It’s about preventing this type of destruction of a thriving learning community that was so successfully serving students in poverty.
High school administrators know a lot about our society. A union of these professionals has a unique opportunity to show off its ability to take care of our city’s youth, above all. To fight for vibrant school communities. Currently the focus is so narrow, broken into individual parts, that we are missing the bigger picture to drive our decision making. But looking at the big picture means addressing the root failures of our educational system. That’s a major point of this book: the elite like to solve problems that don’t involve actually solve any actual problems.
I need my union back fighting with me, in numbers. Having the courage to stand up for what is right, according to the wisdom of union membership. My union refused to demand that the Department of Education abide by an arbitration ruling that restored me to my position as a principal. All agreed that I had been dedicated to the students and that I had produced remarkable student outcomes and that I should be returned immediately to continue my work. But my union said it was up to me to pay a private attorney to appeal to the state courts. Somehow it was normal for them that city officials be allowed to ignore a ruling when they don’t like it and I have no one to back me up even after my having followed all required contractual procedures over that initial ten month period, six months of which I went without a paycheck. I have tremendous privilege that has allowed me to continue this fight. Many others before me were not so lucky. Hopefully those after me don’t have such a dilemma making them choose their family’s well being over that of the school community they had successfully led for years.
We must come together as administrators to defend our school communities. It’s always hard to come together in a democratic fashion, especially when those meant to bring us together may not want us to unite in a meaningful way. We hide the real union activity as we ignore their talking at the lunch table. We share the critical learning of our brothers and sisters in the field. But I promise it beats allowing the chief executives to maintain their positions of power on our behalves, with our hard earned money paying for their narrow-mindedness.
Adults deserve a good job in a community that recognizes and cares for them. Creating a great place to work for school staff is at the heart of a principal’s job. That is also a union’s focus — to care for the adults and their work environment. But not at the cost of ensuring a “great space to learn” for city students. Ignoring that cannot be acceptable behavior as a professional educational organization of any kind. My specific case demonstrates clear as day that it is acceptable behavior to our current city administration and related educator unions.
Just like how Silicon Valley, where I started my career, is so stupid sometimes. So blindly focusing on technology and engineering as a positive force, ignoring a wider picture. Out of touch with the reality of life for most Americans. How they refuse responsibility for anyone other than their own self-centered way of life. So too has my union fallen asleep at the wheels of power. I know for a fact that a number of other unions remain true to their collectivist roots, but in New York City, corporate executive culture has abducted our union leaders just as we already knew it had abducted our government officials. This book was a powerful reminder of the globalized culture that is behind that abduction.
