The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked
Douglas Hodum, the president of the Maine Science Teachers’ Association, says many Americans need to rethink how they view teachers’ unions.
Teachers’ unions don’t always get the best press. This was especially apparent during the Chicago teachers’ strike last year. (Photo: Getty Images)
Unions are professional organizations. They provide services for teachers that cover an incredible gamut of purposes. Yet, despite all the positive work teachers’ unions do for students, and education in general, some groups continue to criticize these organizations without really understanding their purpose and their function.
Here are a few of the biggest misconceptions:
1. Unions protect bad teachers
People who believe unions’ sole purpose is to protect teachers often vilify unions in the public eye. The argument is that bad teachers are protected once they earn the dreaded “T” word: tenure. This is a major
