“You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones!”: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers’ Unions, and Public Education

Authors William Ayers and Rick Ayers

During this reading and conversation, authors William Ayers and Rick Ayers discussed their latest (2018) book, “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones!”: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers’ Unions, and Public Education. The authors explored the common narrative that blames teachers for everything from problems in education to poverty and other social ills. In addition to readings from the book, the authors shared experiences and insights from their decades as teachers, teacher educators, scholars, and community organizers.