In An Educator’s Guide to Personal Pride, Larry Plummer discusses the many challenges teachers encounter, making their quest for acceptance, advancement and (at the college level) tenure such a treacherous journey.
Plummer posits that discrimination, favoritism and nepotism are rife in many teaching communities. He follows two fictitious characters – Andrew James Applicant and Latina Amy Maria Ambitious – as they apply for various teaching positions. As they both face disappointments, setbacks and illegalities, the author introduces readers to strategies that can be used to fight back, such as filing complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, lodging grievances, sending letters, and more.
A lawyer who specialized in school and education law, Plummer also served as a school principal. Over the years, while he sought to attain various pedagogical roles with greater responsibility, Plummer himself faced these challenges. Today, still practicing law and educational consulting, his belief in the sanctity and power of the teaching profession remains palpable. But also palpable is his understanding that the profession, like others, is full of unethical workers disguised as good Samaritans.
Plummer stresses that it’s important to maintain an audit trail and documentation of ongoing issues, and he admits that it’s not easy to stay the course when the going gets rough. But as in the game of chess, a metaphor he uses to describe the level of detachment and determination needed to persevere, there are many maneuvers available to those able to visualize the consequences of several moves ahead.
This book will not disappoint readers willing to get in the “weeds” with Plummer. The potential outcomes may sometimes seem far from fair, nevertheless, when the rubber meets the road, it’s all about being resilient, Plummer writes.
His useful book will help educators fight for their rights, understanding the importance of doing so even when the resolution may fall short of the desired outcome.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
