The plaintiffs backed by a silicon valley billionaire claimed that teacher work protections, including tenure, were detrimental and unfair to poor and mostly minority students. How the judge came to agree is an assault to the senses.
Education reformers would have you believe you can separate the relationship between teacher and student but the truth is you can’t. They are symbiotic, they depend on each other to exist. Policies like ignoring discipline and cutting budgets hurt both children and teachers alike as does destroying work protections for teachers. This hurts teachers for the obvious reasons but it also hurts students too because as the teaching profession becomes more and more unappealing fewer qualified people will enter and stay. Who will teach our kids when they make the profession so unappealing that professionals won’t want to do it?
Does it take time and documentation and sometimes even money to get rid of an ineffective teacher? Again sure but that’s the way it is in any profession and I remind you that the procedures are mutually agreed upon between unions and administrations. Unions do not dictate to localities.
The Vegera case would have you believe so but how will kneecapping the teaching profession help kids? The answer is it won’t but that was never the reason behind it in the first place instead it’s about destroying the power of labor. These billionaires want to be able to make decisions, many of which they will profit off unencumbered by groups banded together to look out for their interests even when those interests are entirely intertwined with the interests of children.
In Florida there has been a similar court case making its way through the courts. The plaintiffs not backed by a billionaire took a different direction however. Instead of blaming teachers and unions they believe its inadequate resources that are holding our schools and children back. If we’re saddened by young teachers being cut then lets not cut budgets. If we think teachers have to many work protections, negotiate but be prepared to pay more to have them give up those rights. instead of doing what is right they would have you believe Mrs. Migilicutty at the top of the pay scale at PS this or that is to blame for all the woes in education
The ed reformers are always talking about the needs for children. If only this were about the needs of children, it’s not and people shouldn’t think for a second it is.
To learn more click the links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/25/a-time-magazine-cover-enrages-teachers-again/
http://nancyebailey.com/2014/10/24/teacher-hate/
http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/10/24/the-big-problem-with-times-teacher-bashing-cover-story/
DTU does not make sure the contract is enforced. They collect dues and give money to people trying to destroy public education.
Sadly you're right on that one… sigh….
DTU has also consistently said "we don't do discipline", even though its part of the contract and one of the worst issues teachers deal with.
I would say "DISCIPLINE is the ISSUE". From it every good thing flows.
Beyond that, it's not like people are clamoring to become teachers. It took our school over a month to find someone to fill a core teacher position. At other schools, I have heard of multiple vacancies. Why would new teachers want to stay when the conditions are life-sucking at times, when the stress is overwhelming, when people constantly demean teachers, etc? It's not like we are getting paid the big money. To get to 40,000, you have to have 9 years of experience. To get to 50,000, you have to reach 20 years of experience. No one in my department has that many years of teaching experience. In fact, no one is over 10 years.
The pay definintely doesn't match the stress.