Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, November 8, 2010

Are teachers' unions on the defensive? What should their strategy be? | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Are teachers' unions on the defensive? What should their strategy be? | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Are teachers' unions on the defensive? What should their strategy be?

November 8, 2010 | 2:19 pm

Teachers protest

6a00d8341c630a53ef013488024286970c-320wiHow are teachers' unions handling the push for charter schools and school reform?

The Times' Mitchell Landsberg looked at the question, noting that even the long-held protections and prerogatives conferred by seniority and tenure no longer seem sacrosanct.

A nationwide school reform movement with bipartisan support has collided head-on with unions over three ideas that labor has long resisted: expansion of charter schools, the introduction of merit pay for teachers and the use of student test scores in teacher evaluations. "To say that we're under attack is an understatement," Los Angeles teachers