Andrea, I agree that in this age of transparency the protective role of unions has become outdated. Principals and superintendents deserve the right to lead, and tenure, for instance, is dying for reinvention. However, collective bargaining still has a lot to be said for itself as a concept in terms of streamlining a massive body of workers, and I’m sure you can’t possibly be arguing that teachers are underworked and overpaid. I can’t think of anything more emotionally demanding than dealing with other people’s parenting errors all day every day – 30 at a time!

In terms of collective bargaining and unions, there a few things that have been overlooked:
1. Collective bargaining isn’t just about money and benefits. Contracts outline safety issues, workload, days off, maternity leave – and lots of other aspects of a job that vary district to district, city to city.
2. Teachers of English, math, science, and social studies have state mandated tests to hold over their heads. What metric do gym, art, business, etc. teachers have? There are also core class teachers who may have a class or two during the day that don’t fall under state testing – poetry, for example – how will they be evaluated? What about teachers who get new classes or switched to a different grade? Create tests for all levels and subjects? Well, that costs money – taxes, that is. And you cannot use one type of measurement for one group of teachers without having comparable ones for the others – there would be lawsuits, which would cost tax dollars.
3. There is this assumption that principals have the time and resources to evaluate all their teachers in a timely and effective manner. Even in private industry, you cannot pick and choose whom you evaluate and when.
4. Getting rid of tenure is not a guarantee of improved services. We seem to be suffer under the delusion that the private industry is this bastion of meritocracy, where great work is rewarded and anything less is not tolerated. Please. If that were true, we should never have to experience crappy service, buy mediocre products, get sick from tainted food, or watch corporate criminals get huge bonuses.
5. Finally, no matter how much we cut salaries and pensions, the cost of running a state will continue to rise, while we face a reduction of services – roads not repaired, garbage not collected.
As a former teacher, I feel confident is saying that any change to the bargaining and tenure system will end up costing taxpayers in taxes as well as in the quality of public services.

What Citizen Mom said!!

Attitudes like Andrea’s are a major issue in this country. Nothing will ever improve as long as there are idiots with uninformed opinions who have no respect for the people educating their children. Raping the public purse? As a parent, I understand that paying professionals to educate my children is more important than buying chalk.

I’m not saying that I agree with the way teachers’ unions operate, and I do think major changes are needed.