Oklahoma teacher to testify in Kavanaugh hearing
An Oklahoma City teacher is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday on the fourth day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
U.S. Grant High School teacher Melissa Smith was invited by Democrats to speak in opposition to Kavanaugh, specifically about his views on labor unions and school choice.
“I’m crazy nervous, anxious, excited and all of that,” Smith said.
Smith had been in discussions with the American Federation of Teachers union for two weeks about appearing before the committee but was officially named as a witness last week. Even before she was added to the witness list, Smith had been lecturing on the Supreme Court nomination process in her criminal justice class at U.S. Grant.
Last week, she revealed to her students that she would be taking part in the proceedings in Washington, D.C. “I think knowing that my kids and other teachers are going to watch this makes me more nervous than anything else because I want to make sure I represent them well,” Smith said. “I talk to my students every day about using their voice and how to exercise their rights, and now I can be an example of that.”
Smith is in her sixth year of teaching and was an active participant during a two-week teacher walkout in April, when thousands of teachers rallied at the state Capitol for increased education funding. Smith said she plans to share with the Senate committee how poor funding has hurt schools in Oklahoma and why rulings in support of school vouchers would further harm public schools.
She also plans to discuss the importance of unions as Kavanaugh previously has ruled against collective bargaining rights and organized labor.
The American Federation of Teachers has joined several other national union organizations in opposing Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
“Melissa’s testimony reflects the views of working people around the country: Judge Kavanaugh does not belong on the United States Supreme Court,” said Randi Weingarten, AFT president.
“If confirmed, Kavanaugh would put his thumb on the scale to siphon money away from public education into private hands, while attacking workers’ rights, women’s rights, and affordable healthcare.”
Unions were dealt a blow earlier this year when the Supreme Court ruled public employees don’t have to pay union fees. Oklahoma workers were already exempt from having to pay union fees.
Membership in Oklahoma teacher unions has been on the decline for the last several years, but union leaders said membership increased following the teacher walkout.
The threat of a walkout spurred state lawmakers to approve a teacher pay raise and some additional education funding was approved during the walkout. “For Oklahoma teachers, the union was our voice and helped us present a united front,” Smith said. “The AFT had our backs, they fought for us and, right now, this is the biggest opportunity for me to show why unions are important.”
President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
During his introductory press conference, Kavanaugh, who has served since 2006 on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, referenced his mother’s work as an educator. “My mom was a teacher,” Kavanaugh said. “In the 1960s and ‘70s, she taught history at two largely African-American public high schools in Washington, D.C. — McKinley Tech and H.D. Woodson. Her example taught me the importance of equality for all Americans.”
Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing has included stark partisan debate between senators and regular interruptions by protesters. Democrats, who lack the votes to block Kavanaugh’s confirmation, have argued he will push the court further to the right.
Smith said she has tried to watch some of the hearings between classes but was mostly focused on finishing the written testimony she will read on Friday. “I’m nervous, but it took no convincing for me to do this,” Smith said.