Submitted by Ken Messersmith (not verified) on March 7, 2007 - 04:12.
I have been a teacher for 36 years and have taught in both union and non-union schools. I have seen many union member teachers fired because they were poor teachers. In none of those cases was the union able to save the teacher's job. The union could insist that the teacher's due process rights were honored but they could not save the teacher's job if there was well documented evidence of poor teaching.
I have also seen poor teachers retained because their administrator supervisor didn't have the courage to confront the situation and to document the evidence. Once a gutless administrator gives a poor teacher acceptable reviews for several years it is hard to get rid of that poor teacher.
I believe we are all to blame for the lack of school reform. Families and athletic organizations insist on shorter school days and school years so kids have time for sports. Teachers want their summers off. School boards believe "if it was good enough for me it is good enough for today's students." Communities don't want to spend the money it would take to make changes. The blame should not fall on the unions alone.
I have been a teacher for 36
Submitted by Ken Messersmith (not verified) on March 7, 2007 - 04:12.
I have been a teacher for 36 years and have taught in both union and non-union schools. I have seen many union member teachers fired because they were poor teachers. In none of those cases was the union able to save the teacher's job. The union could insist that the teacher's due process rights were honored but they could not save the teacher's job if there was well documented evidence of poor teaching.
I have also seen poor teachers retained because their administrator supervisor didn't have the courage to confront the situation and to document the evidence. Once a gutless administrator gives a poor teacher acceptable reviews for several years it is hard to get rid of that poor teacher.
I believe we are all to blame for the lack of school reform. Families and athletic organizations insist on shorter school days and school years so kids have time for sports. Teachers want their summers off. School boards believe "if it was good enough for me it is good enough for today's students." Communities don't want to spend the money it would take to make changes. The blame should not fall on the unions alone.