When 35,000 West Virginia teachers halted education during their nine-day strike, they focused on five key issues that hindered education within the state. Labor strikes often come in the aftermath of low wages and poor working conditions as a means of advocacy for change. 

The 2018 strike in West Virginia is a shining example of labor unions' effectiveness. In an environment where perception is subjective, not everyone saw the teacher strike as a success. 

In the aftermath, there were calls within the state to form legislation to make strikes illegal for public school staff which has now come to fruition. On the heels of what felt like a significant win for teachers, this policy change feels like a devastating blow to education.

Making it illegal for educators to advocate for effective change does more harm than good. Strikes give voice to issues and causes that labor forces support, and policies that prohibit these groups from speaking will likely be met with more of the same.  

The best approach would be to sort things out at the collective bargaining table. State officials should design a robust formula that solves the teachers' grievances without them having to go on strike in the first place. Parents, administrators, and community members need to understand that the issues West Virginia educators were fighting for were meant to improve the quality of education for all students. Given that, we need to better support our teachers and not advocate for ways to punish them for pushing for change.