Thomas: Chicago teachers’ strike raises issues important to S.C.
- Guest Columnist
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The Chicago teachers’ strike may seem to be a distant and mostly insignificant event in South Carolina, a right-to-work state, but it matters a great deal for public education in our state.The national discussion of public education and education reform has painted union influence with a broad brush that is simplistic, as this influence varies from state to state. Further, the facts challenge the negative portrayal of teachers’ unions found in pop culture such as the documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’” and the motion picture “Don’t Back Down.”
The fact is that states with strong unions tend to have higher student test scores than states, such as South Carolina, that are non-union. Of course, that’s because there is a