Teacher's Unions

[mcd1982]

I am currently going to school to earn my teaching certificate and we have to post on a class discussion board about a weekly topic.

This week is about teacher's unions. Since I am going to a Christian school, I am surrounded by right wingers bashing unions.

Can anyone provide me with useful information to say unions really are beneficial (teacher's unions in specific)?

[emanymton]

1. Unions, Looking Out For You. Unions Taking Care Of The Individual.

[Spinzonner]

2. Well, according to the administration

They're terrorists:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0223-08.htm

[oneighty]

3. TIAA/CREF and other

retirement funds for teachers.

All because of unions.

One example I am aware of.

180

[alcuno]

4. I'd check out the NEA's website, but as a union officer....

they are incredibly beneficial for kids, parents, teachers, and administrators. I've taught in a "Right to Work" state and it's not the money issues that are so important, but the working conditions.

A union contract is not just the "teachers'" contract but a contract between the teachers and the Board of Education. It details what the Board has to do and what the teachers MUST do. I've had administrators call me about teachers and I've had to call them and tell them follow the contract or you won't receive support from us. We sometimes do the work that administrators are afraid to do.

[diddlysquat]

5. Teacher's Unions are not extremely effective

I believe this is because teachers generally work against their own best interst. Administrators know this and purposely play on "do it for the children". NEA is especially bland.

[vince3]

6. Tell those undergraduate know-it-all neocons.....

....to go try to teach school and take on the administrators and th parents and the kids without a union trying to back up the teachers.

[spartan61]

7. I taught for 32 years and was happy we had a union.

There is strength in numbers. Unions do the negotiating with the school boards. Otherwise teachers would be at the mercy of whatever the board wanted to pay them and teachers would certainly not get any benefits. Of course it is a two way street. Teachers have to give something to get something. Another reason teachers need unions is to protect them. One teacher in my school was falsely accused of inappropriate touching of a female student. The CEA (Connecticut Ed. Assn.) went to bat for the teacher and proved the girl was lying. She later recanted her story. What would have happened to this teacher if he didn't have union backing? He would have been fired on the spot and would never be allowed to teach anywhere again...all because of a lie told by a student.

[ourbluenation]

8. Mr Ourblue is a teacher and we LOVES our union

Especially when the school board has way too many neocons on it. The union has stepped in on 3 occasions in the last 4 years at his old district to help defend the rights of some of his wonderful co-workers. Teaching is a labor of love, flat out - he taught special ed for ten years. You wouldn't believe the nonsense he's had to put up with - mostly from parents.

The union is great. A wonderful resource. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Your right wing fellow student teachers will be singing another tune when they get out in the real world/classroom.

[MichiganVote]

9. Tell the Christians God and my union look out for me

[mcd1982]

10. great stuff!

do you all mind if i post some of your stories so my classmates may read them? thanks!

[jazzjunkysue]

11. I'm a New York State Teacher Here are the main reasons for a union:

1. You can't fail a student without tenure. If we didn't have tenure, no one would have to come to class, do homework, behave or pass. The administrations would just give out A's and fire anyone who didn't. The Union keeps the school tenure and seniority in place, and makes the schools follow the rules.
2. The schools would fire us before we got too expensive, making teaching so destabilized, they'd be in chaos all the time. Teachers know they can't be fired without cause because of the union.
3. Also, schools would hire everyone part time to avoid paying benefits or kicking in tenure.
4. Collective bargaining means a new 20 something teacher doesn't have to negotiate alone against a school district.
5. The teaching certifications are 6+ years of college and lots of exams and a very long internship. After going through all that, you'll want your job protected, since a teaching degree isn't any good for anything else. As it is, we make alot less money than other professionals requiring a master's degree.
6. All teachers know their unions are good for them, because anyone who can get a masters and certified goes to public school. Those who can't or don't, stay in parochial schools and make far far less with far inferior equipment and books.

[jazzjunkysue]

12. Also, you can't measure success with sales: Merit pay doesn't work.

Some classes of kids will never do well. Other's can't fail. If you pay teachers by their kids grades, suddenly everyone will be heading for harvard. There needs to be another way to set raises and salaries. Merit pay cannot work, because some of the best, dedicated teachers work with seriously impaired kids in the inner cities. They should not be paid accordingly because their kids are underprivileged or new to america.

In your chrisian school,your job security depends on how well you sell the bible. I'm allowed to skip religion entirely. Just try saying anything against party line, and you'll wish you had union protection. It's called free speech.

[dsc]

13. I have worked in both union and non union states

Teaching conditions and salaries have improved immensly due to unions. Even non union states like mine have to compete with union states like Ohio and PA so our salaries have gone up as well. Unions protect teachers from arbitrary firing and work to make teaching a more desirable vocation. In North Carolina, our association, we can't all it a union, has lobbied to get mentoring programs in place, has a teaching academy, and raises money for student scholarships. In addition to lobbying for better salaries and benefits. You will be glad there is a union the first time you face an irrational administrator.

[Catshrink]

14. I was glad about a month ago...

a student had accused me of calling other students "sluts and bitches." The admins were very serious and I was terrified. But, when I found out who the student was, it was over pretty quickly. (She was retaliating over a disciplinary issue which thankfully I had documented.) Still, even though it was resolved, I was glad the union rep was there for moral support.

[dsc]

15. but of course it was all your fault

You weren't understanding enough, you were to authoritarian, or some other such problem. Frankly posting here has gotten depressing for this teacher. It is bad enough that the people in power don't care about education. Now apparently neither do liberals. In any case I am glad you had the documentation and hope the student got expelled. Yes, I mean that. Students who try to get us fired should get expelled if they do so for false reasons.

[HEyHEY]

16. The one in BC are a bunch of fuckers

ANd I hate them... I'll spare you the rest.