Remembering a pioneer for public education
My good friend and mentor, Dwight Logan, died yesterday.
No one who remains in the Sarasota district schools will remember Dwight as he retired in the early 1980’s and died at age 95. But we are all greatly indebted to him.
Dwight led the Sarasota administrators and teachers out on strike as part of the 1968 statewide teacher strike in Florida. Yes, that is right: in 1968, teachers and administrators around the state walked out in strike in protest of what they thought were abominable conditions in the state’s classrooms.
Dwight hailed from Appleton, Wis., and began teaching at Phillippi Shores Elementary School in the early 1960’s. At that time, I was still a student in the Brooklyn Technical High School, still many years removed from my own 43-year tenure (and still counting) in Sarasota.
At the time of the strike, Dwight was the principal of Southside Elementary School. While the teachers and principals struck together, the teachers were eventually returned to duty, while the principals were terminated.
Dwight bore no malice to the administration for firing him for leading the strike. He said he expected to be fired due to being an administrator, and led the strike knowing that.
Dwight went on to lead the SC/TA for many years and to help reform the Florida Education Association with a progressive movement that returned the power of the Association to the elected leadership where it belonged. He was also instrumental in adding the classified employees to our union, and incorporating them as equal members with a unified structure rather than the many different unions found in other counties.
Dwight was a true believer in the power of teachers and their right to be treated with respect and dignity. He was one of the many things that made Sarasota a special little oasis in the state of Florida, where our staff was treated far better than those in surrounding counties.
Several years ago, Dwight and his wife Barabra returned to Sarasota County. Even late in his life, he sat behind the SC/TA team at the bargaining table as former superintendent Todd Bowden and his henchmen tried to strip our entire contract. We fought off that attempt, and Dwight was there by our side.
While I know none of you may have known Dwight, we were all very lucky he preceded us. He fought battles so we wouldn’t have to. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.