Yes, Teachers Do Have A Breaking Point
We all remember the scene in the movie Network where a character throws open the window, sticks his head out, and yells, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore." Last week, about 30,000 educators in Chicago came to a similar breaking point.
It was a fascinating week for watchers and listeners. The media pundits immediately went to union bashing as if 90 percent of the membership had not voted to assert their collective and legal right to go on strike. Shame on MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, and Willie Geist. Loyal viewers, like me, were very disappointed.
Let me repeat a message I've shared before: teachers and teacher unions are the same. Where do you think union members come from? Union leaders and their teacher members hate strikes. When they choose that alternative, you know they have been insulted, disrespected, and demeaned by management proposals. And what is most important is that you know that the proposals on the table hurt students---proposals such as larger class sizes, refusal to