Using your Critical Thinking skills, ponder the question, "why would a group seek to hamper education?"
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Just because a good argument never hurt anyone...
ReplyDeleteWhy should the teacher's unions keep getting their way?
Teachers are paid to work 180 days a year - in most of the country. There are 365 days in a year, and most teachers spend one week after school ends, two weeks before school begins, and one day per month in teacher preparation and related activities. Now we are up from 180 to 205 days per year.
IF I work a regular full-time job in an office, I would work approximately 260 days per year, even holidays that most teachers would get off I will work - unless I work in another government position or a bank.
Let's take on the argument I hear that teachers take home their work. Yes, I can understand that, but I have never ever met a single office worker making more than $30,000/year who did not have weekend meetings, after-hour meetings, lunch meetings, homework, or email responsibilities that were not covered in their pay. Let's not even count that professionals have to pay for their seminars to keep up dated even if their organization cannot afford to send them.
So, are teachers overworked? I don't think so - in a call center an employee will be paid less than half what a teacher makes and be required to deal with literally hundreds of people per day. Nope, I think the call center has it harder, and I have been in the schools before.
Do I think teachers should be paid more for being responsible for the most important asset we have? Yes, but not when they are underperforming. Unions are not just protecting hard working teachers who are struggling to keep their students education, unions are protecting teachers who could care less if they meet standards and are refusing to work towards NCLB goals. Unions are only effective when they are for the good of all stakeholders.
However, should the unions be gone? Not unless there will be a human resource department implemented into the system. How can the teachers get any satisfaction if there is neither a union nor a human resource department???
I may be over critical of the system - and I agree that teachers deserve a break but it is no harder a job than nursing... it isn't. In many ways, the responsibility is no more great.
I also agree that NCLB has been a challenge we cannot hope to overcome if we do not find better solutions than standardized testing, but we do need to continue to work in the system. There are teachers and administrations who are desperately trying to "outwit" the system rather than meet the challenges. Always trying to find some way to get tests re-scored or not counted. Always "not my fault" it is the test. That is great, so work with it and stop complaining so much. The oil spills - BP has to clean it up, and it wasn't just their fault either.
IF we expect education to be successful and keep our children demonstrating high standards that will be competitive in the future, we need to consider what good the unions really are doing us. IF they are using their power to prevent full year school - time to go. IF they are using their power to cripple schools - time to go.
I've known teachers who not only take home tests to grade and lesson plans and spend summers going to seminars and stuff - but work a summer job, buy supplies for their classes, pay for field trips and organize after-school activities.
ReplyDeleteI've also known some who do nothing more than show up and follow the text book.
But when the Football coach is also the science teacher - something is very wrong.
I agree with trying to get the 'bad' teachers out, but how do we attract good teachers? How do we support those who really care and perform?