Transforming Teacher Unions: Fighting for Better Schools and Social Justice

While the book deals with the types of teacher unionism in considerable detail, there is only brief mention of the need for teachers themselves to be teachers of unionism. Howard Zinn states in an interview, "If teacher unions want to be strong and well-supported, it's essential they not only be teacher unionists but teachers of unionism... to create a generation of students who support teachers and the movement of teachers for their rights." If the survival of teacher unionism depends upon teachers teaching unionism, they will have to learn about it first. Teacher unions need to teach their members, certainly their site representatives about the history of unionism. Short of having a required course in the role of unions in public education, Transforming Teacher Unions: Fighting for Better Schools and Social Justice should be required reading at least for one of the many classes teachers have to take for a credential.