Well, this thread is aging well. It isn't even one of Boxes and it is working towards 5 pages.
As I said earlier in this thread, I retired from Education and was at nearly every level except superintendent. Much of what has been said in here is not accurate and would take all day to debunk. I just hope some of the same people know more about football than schools. A few highlights.
Yes, the unions are not good for education. They are very much power and worker focused. That last I looked at their planks there wasn't much said about the students and outcomes, all teacher focused. And I assume people realize there is more than one union, none of them seem to be of much value to student learning.
Yes, all teachers are essentially treated the same per union agreement and salary schedules. That is the union way of course, which should give everyone pause when you hear our left leaning party extol the virtues of the wonderful need for more unions in the U.S. The problem always is the union is pushing to spend YOUR money, not a companies.
No, I never belonged to the NEA union. At one school I was giving up some planning time to work with at-risk kids and apparently some teachers (union people) had a problem with that. They talked to me about it and I said it was my time and I was going to spend it how I wanted, helping kids. They wanted me to join the union and I said NO and in fact said I would quit education if I was forced to belong. The unions brainwash the teachers with fear of losing their jobs and getting harassed by administration if they don't belong.
I was on several negotiations teams at small schools where the union was rarely even mentioned and larger districts where the word UNION or NEA was used 14 times in every sentence. So one size does not fit all. We always found a way to make things work, its called tax money and there is only so much of it to go around. Also realize when the teachers negotiate they elect representatives to do their bidding and those people often are out for special groups like soon to retire teachers or coaches while boards want to spread money to everyone especially beginning teachers. So when you see the salary schedules, know the union had a big part in that. Don't blame the school, superintendent or board.
Yes, I have fought unions on their turf and by their rules and it was very difficult and time consuming. In fact, one school was so bad with so many rotten apples we told the area Union Rep we were going to reserved an office for him at our school. After about 6 months he came to see the light and actually spent resources and his time to help the staff figure out I and my assistant director weren't messing around.
Yes, there are great, good and bad teachers just like there are on your jobs. I assume everyone on this board is a top performer and never in the middle or at the bottom of their professions? I tried to hire good people, help those already there and fire those who were not good for kids.
I was blessed to work in a public school that some of the best educators I have ever witnessed collectively. It is no coincidence we earned every academic achievement award in the state over three years at the start of NCLB. We were consistently in the 90% and above pass rate and the requirement was less than a third of that. People flocked from all over to see what we were doing differently. They were sure it was a different book, technology, something - turns out it was really good teachers but not all of them, I supported them and had very high expectations, students worked very hard and the results showed. Most kids that went to college came back and said it was easier than HS and they were often bored. Many Dr's, attorney's and other professionals. So it can be done but it will kill a determined administrator now days to do it.
Take a school like Spartan teaches at, it is renowned for its student outcomes. It is private, not religious based. I know several private schools that have ACT scores that will knock your socks off.
I read all the reasons teachers are quitting, pressure from administration, burn out, parents, kids don't listen and a big one listed often is administration doesn't back them? What does that mean? I had teachers who had low numbers in their classes but sent a high percentage to the office for referrals. In other words, they couldn't manage a class so they kicked kids out and if I had a problem with just kicking them out all of the time, it was me not supporting them. Being a principal is the most demanding job I have ever done. It was always 6 days and nights a week, non stop with school or school activities but go ahead and say they are overpaid, too many of them, and they don't know anything that is why they became a principal plus all the other things that are said you really know nothing about.
The progressives have longed for many years to gain control of the system of educating our youth and they have succeeded. My personal opinion is we will never get it back. Kansas is a state that can trace great outcomes from their education system to the one room school house, one of which my wife attended up to 6th grade. Since then, it has been a steady decline and will only accelerate in my opinion. The destruction of the family, the focus on self, how do I feel surveys, no requirement to actually turn anything it, and it goes on an on and somehow everyone is surprised when a teacher can't turn some kids around and the teacher or administrator is the problem?
