When the Union Forgets the Teacher: A Moderate’s Perspective on Reforming Teacher Representation
- L.T. Pret
- Mar 30
- 5 min read
Official Statement by L.T. Pret
A teacher’s fight for fairness inside D.C. Public Schools exposes a dangerous alliance between the District and its union—where silence is rewarded, accountability is punished, and justice depends on who you are, not what’s right.
—L.T. Pret
I believe in unions. I believe in their original mission—to protect workers, uplift voices, and ensure fairness. But I also believe in accountability. When any system—union or government—fails to do what is right, it is our duty to speak up.
As a moderate Democrat and current public school educator, I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of strong representation. But I’ve also experienced what happens when loyalty to institutions outweighs loyalty to the truth. When processes become politicized. When decisions are made in secrecy. And when educators become statistics, rather than individuals with real lives, careers, and concerns.
Over the last several months, I’ve navigated a situation that tested my commitment to public service. My concerns were met with silence. Protections I expected were withheld. And when I asked for clarity, I was given the runaround.
This is not a partisan issue. It’s a structural one.
Unions must serve the people who fund them—the educators. Not just the popular ones. Not just the connected ones. All of us. Especially when we raise uncomfortable truths.
It is not anti-union to demand better. It is deeply pro-educator. Pro-accountability. Pro-justice.
To my fellow teachers: Ask questions. Know your rights. Read the contract. And never let anyone tell you that standing up for yourself is disloyal.
This isn’t about me alone. It’s about what kind of profession we want this to be.
Part II: When the Union Fails the Teacher – A Call for Justice and Reform
In the District of Columbia, where public education intersects with powerful institutions, one expects solidarity to be more than rhetoric. Yet when a teacher prevails in a grievance—only to be removed from his position shortly after—it exposes a system where justice is conditional and protection is selectively applied.
After prevailing in a formal grievance on October 16, 2024, I was transferred without my knowledge or consent in November 2024. The transfer request—submitted on October 30, 2024—was made by a WTU representative without my authorization and without including me in the communication. There was no due diligence. No procedural fairness. No transparency. Then, on November 7, 2024, the Principal entered my classroom and conducted an informal observation—fully aware of the unauthorized transfer request, while I remained completely uninformed. She entered that evaluation into the IMPACT system, ensuring it would be seen by my next Principal. This was not a coincidence—it was a calculated act of retaliation. The timeline speaks for itself: just days after I held DCPS accountable, the very people tasked with supporting educators leveraged their knowledge against me.
When a teacher is penalized for asserting his rights, and the same representatives tasked with defending him contribute to his isolation, this is not advocacy. It is betrayal.
WTU and DCPS LMER must answer for their complicity in this unlawful act. A transfer under the guise of "everyone’s best interest" led to my reassignment into a destabilized environment where budget shortfalls, program instability, and whispered threats of layoffs now shadow my work. This is not how an “Effective” educator should be treated.
The legal filings submitted on March 29, 2025—grounded in D.C. Code § 1–617.04 and § 1–617.03—are more than just formal complaints. They are declarations that no educator should be transferred as retaliation for speaking truth to power. They affirm that Black male educators must not continue to be systemically isolated or undermined for challenging injustice within a predominantly Black and female institution. These filings represent a stand for equity, accountability, and the right to work in an environment free from discrimination, coercion, and retaliation.
And yet, I was warned.
On December 19, 2024, a union representative told me, “DCPS will erase you.” That statement was not just inappropriate—it was revealing. It reflected a quiet understanding between the District and the union that challenging injustice would be met with coordinated retaliation. Rather than defend my rights, the union attempted to dissuade me from asserting them. Rather than support my success, I was treated like a liability for standing up.
This is not just retaliation. It is institutional erasure—of voice, of progress, of Black male educators who disrupt the status quo by succeeding where they were not expected to. But I will not be erased. I will not be silenced. And I will not allow this kind of systemic collusion to continue unchallenged.
The root of the problem runs deeper. The Washington Teachers’ Union, as currently structured, requires no formal legal education, no policy training, and not even mastery of its own contract or internal procedures to serve in key representative roles. Building representatives and even some union leadership are allowed to wield the power to act on behalf of teachers—without being required to understand the law, the collective bargaining agreement, or the full scope of duty they owe to union members.
I currently hold an Associate of Arts in Legal Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Between May and June 2025, I will be conferred a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Law and Public Policy from Liberty University. By that time, I will have completed more formal coursework in law, politics, and public policy than any current WTU Building Representative or member of its executive leadership—underscoring the disparity between the responsibilities union officials hold and the qualifications they actually possess.
This is not just a procedural oversight; it's a systemic flaw. It allows untrained and unchecked individuals to act on behalf of others, to submit binding requests—like transfers—without due diligence, consent, or transparency. It exposes members to harm and protects those in power from accountability. My case is proof.
What kind of union tolerates this? What kind of union fails to train or certify those acting on behalf of its members? A weak one. A negligent one. And one whose legal authority to act in any official capacity must now be seriously questioned.
Let this be the beginning of a new standard. A moment where educators across D.C. call for accountability—not just from the District—but from those who claim to represent us.
We must demand a union that stands with its members, not behind closed doors.
We must envision a DCPS that promotes integrity, not political expediency.
And we must make space for leadership that values transparency over preservation.
Let truth be our tenure. Let accountability be our anchor.
Stay informed. Stay strong.— L.T. Pret
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Media Contact:
Larry Pretlow II
L.T. Pret Communications
Disclaimer & Legal Notice
This post reflects the personal account, perspective, and commentary of Larry T. Pretlow II, a public school educator, public figure, and citizen entitled to full constitutional protections of speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 15 of the D.C. Constitution. This content is published on LarryPretlow.com, a private, independent platform not affiliated with the District of Columbia Public Schools or the Washington Teachers’ Union.
Under the District of Columbia Whistleblower Protection Act (D.C. Code § 1–615.51 et seq.), and applicable federal protections, no employee of the District of Columbia government shall be subject to retaliation for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes evidences gross mismanagement, gross misuse or waste of public resources or funds, abuse of authority, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation.
All statements made herein are fact-based, supported by documentation, and are a matter of public concern. Nothing in this post constitutes the unauthorized disclosure of confidential student, personnel, or protected information.
As a public educator, I retain the legal right to speak out on matters of public interest—particularly those involving systemic issues in public education, union governance, and institutional accountability. Any attempt to retaliate against me for exercising these rights will be challenged through all appropriate legal and regulatory channels.
I stand not only for myself—but for every educator who has been ignored, silenced, or betrayed for telling the truth.
— Larry T. Pretlow II
Public Educator | Advocate | American Citizen
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