The political participation of public school teachers in new democracies has generated heated debates. In some countries, teacher strikes shutter schools for months each year; in others, teachers' unions have become powerful political machines and have even formed new political parties. To explain these contrasts, Mobilizing Teachers delves into changes in education politics and the labor movement. Christopher Chambers-Ju argues that union organizations fundamentally shape teacher mobilization, with far-reaching implications for politics and policy. With detailed case studies of Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, this book is the first comparative analysis of teacher politics in Latin America. Drawing on extensive field research and multiple sources of data, it enriches theoretical perspectives in political science and sociology on the interplay between protests, electoral mobilization, and party alliances. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

‘Public unions are increasingly becoming the hegemonic labor actor in many developing and developed economies. This epochal shift is evident in Latin America, where the old private sector-based corporatist alliances melted, and teacher unions emerged as powerful forces in the 21st century. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Christopher Chambers-Ju documents the nuts and bolts of teacher politics in three key cases in the region. The result is something we have been waiting for: a compelling account of alternative mobilization trajectories based on the organizational dynamics of teachers’ unions, and an explanatory model with solid theoretical ambitions. This book is indispensable to understand the new political economy of labor in Latin America.’

Sebastián Etchemendy - Associate Professor, Torcuato Di Tella University

‘Chambers-Ju’s timely book takes a major step forward in explaining how powerful teachers’ unions develop strategies and take action in national politics in Latin America. It is required reading for anyone interested in education reform in the region.’

Merilee S. Grindle - Edward S. Mason Professor of International Development (emerita), Harvard Kennedy School

‘In this extraordinary book, Christopher Chambers-Ju manages to explain in a clear and analytical way the different ways of doing politics by teachers’ unions, as well as understanding the various degrees of power of these organizations and their different abilities to influence educational policies. It is a fundamental work to understand the tension between democracy and the power of interest groups. It is an essential book for policymakers, politicians, and academics interested in understanding the forces that govern educational policies and their impact on democracy.’

Aurelio Nuño - former Minister of Public Education of Mexico; Fellow of The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University

‘Mobilizing Teachers is a remarkable book illustrating the nuanced political analysis that is possible from long-term, immersive field research across diverse national contexts. Chambers-Ju’s comparative analysis reminds education scholars that teachers’ unions are more relevant than ever, shaping the politics of education in very different ways depending on national and organizational context, and a reminder to social movement scholars that teachers are one of the most dynamic and influential movements of our time.’

Rebecca Tarlau - Associate Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education