Save Our Schools on teacher unions.
Brother Mike reports from the SOS conference in DC this past weekend:
“We buy the cheapest paper. Why not the cheapest teachers.”
I have a teaching pal who proudly hails from a working class suburb on the south-west side of Chicago.
For years he has described for me the difference between the boards of education from these communities and those from the tonier north suburban and north shore suburbs.
Intuitively folks think that teachers up north get more respect, higher salaries and bargaining that goes smoother.
Not so.
“Parents and those that sit on the board of education are very respectful of teachers and the hard work we do,” my buddy always tells me. “People work hard for their money. But they are concerned about their children’s futures and they are willing to pay top dollar to get good teachers.”
My own bargaining experience has been decidedly different. I have spent my professional teaching career in a
Saturday’s panel of teacher union activists, Fred Klonsky, Dr. Michael A. Walker Jones, and Xian Barrett, was over the top. Most of the controversy took place around the so-callednew unionism or “results unionism” now being touted bysome AFT and NEA leaders. There was lots of anger and frustration in the room, over the quick concessions being made by union leaders on issues like value-added evaluation of teachers and “merit” pay.
The panel discussion was followed by Sunday’s labor workshop where attendees
Rahm brings Wilmette bargaining style to Chicago.
“We buy the cheapest paper. Why not the cheapest teachers.”
I have a teaching pal who proudly hails from a working class suburb on the south-west side of Chicago.
For years he has described for me the difference between the boards of education from these communities and those from the tonier north suburban and north shore suburbs.
Intuitively folks think that teachers up north get more respect, higher salaries and bargaining that goes smoother.
Not so.
“Parents and those that sit on the board of education are very respectful of teachers and the hard work we do,” my buddy always tells me. “People work hard for their money. But they are concerned about their children’s futures and they are willing to pay top dollar to get good teachers.”
My own bargaining experience has been decidedly different. I have spent my professional teaching career in a
