What does it mean to be a political leader? Does being a political leader mean that one is a politician? What is the role of a teacher in politics?  In many instance community members are fearful of the politically active teacher.  As a result, teachers who become involved in politics are often viewed as indoctrinators, antagonists of democracy, and conflicts of community interest.  The recent election has certainly reignited teachers activity in politics due to the potential reinstatement of the federal policies outlined in No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  Unfortunately, many community members believe that the teachers and their unions are involved in lobbying efforts strictly as a special interest group and not as a plausible stakeholder in a child's education.  One may argue that such a fear and misunderstanding evolved from our countries broken conception of democracy.  Since our countries conception the mainstream political scene has been dominated by a neodarwinian mindset, born from the struggle of civic representation and the ideal of individualism.  In order to achieve a more perfect union however, we must break away from the conventional though that influences our politics and move towards a concept that will help restore equality and justice in our democracy.   Politics occurs in almost every aspect of life, during work, school, family life, civic duty, and recreation.  Politics' is a natural ramification when people gather to discuss and act out solutions to challenges.  Often times one may attempt to divorce politics from the trials of everyday life, and restrict it to the government platform.  One may use the argument that "politics serves no purpose on this stage" or that "engaging in politics is divisive and counterproductive".  The belief that ones endeavors are above and beyond politics is not only arrogant, naive, and narcissist, but it threatens the foundations of a democratic society.  Woodford suggests that politics is the way in which people gather to engage in collective problem solving.  Therefore, if one were to remove politics from everyday life their voice in addition to their neighbors would be lost fro the sake on unity and peace.  In addition, the community accepts the tyranny and oppression of the mainstream, leaving their community stripped from the democratic ideals once cherished by its citizens.  Fear of politics is not only born from the struggle for representation but also from the mistrust and the inadequacy of bureaucracy. 

Political leaders are important in any society, profession, or organization.  The role of a political leader is to navigate through the fractured community and create an environment where all separate centers can flow and create a sense of wholeness (Block).  The responsibility of a political leader is to help create a gathering that fosters open communication between each center.  Open lines of communication are the best remedy  for a broken community.  it is through communication, expression, and support that a healthy pluralistic community is born and it is the role of a political leader to help lay the foundation and facilitate the conversation.  This requires that the leader understand to the best of their ability each center, so that every individuals voice is heard.  One may agree that when members of a community have a comprehensive understanding of one another than breakdowns in community become less.  the ultimate responsibility of a political leader is to explore and navigate the fractures of society, much like how a geologist studies fractures of the earth's plates.  They understand that they cannot solve all the problems of a society just as a geologist cannot prevent earthquakes.  However, they seek to understand why the fractures occur and help predict and expose potential threats. When such a threat becomes detectable they facilitate a conversation that will bring about understanding, reconciliation, and safety, while facilitating a resolution.  Fractures in society will never disappear unless there is a push towards homogenization and those fractures contribute to the benefits of a free and democratic society.