Social Justice Unionism & Seattle’s 2015 MAP Test Boycott

According to the National Coalition of Education Activists, social justice unionism advocates for expanding the work of rank-and-file union members to work for the common good and establish shared agendas with progressive community members. One key component of social justice unionism recognizes that parents and community members are vital allies (“Social Justice,” 2020). This section encourages education unions to include parents and community members’ in schools and work towards their best interests.

A prime example of social justice unionism at work is the 2015 boycott of the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test in Seattle, Washington. In this case, a radical group of ordinary unionized teachers organized alongside parents, students, and union members to push their union and challenge an inequitable exam. For years, they have believed and voiced that the MAP test was so “irrevocably flawed” that it was no longer a valuable assessment for their students (Hagopian, 2020). They collectively began boycotting the MAP test, which resulted in a unanimous vote to eliminate it in just five days. This is one of the many examples of how educators can join forces with students, parents, and the community around them to further a plan for their collective benefit. Additionally, this case also reveals how educators can push and transform their own unions.