Posted on 07/30/2012 7:28:38 AM PDT by Qbert
By resisting almost any change aimed at improving our public schools, teachers unions have become a ripe target for reformers across the ideological spectrum. Even Hollywood, famously sympathetic to organized labor, has turned on unions with the documentary "Waiting for 'Superman'" (2010) and a feature film, "Won't Back Down," to be released later this year. But perhaps most damaging to the unions' credibility is their position on sexual misconduct involving teachers and students in New York schools, which is even causing union members to begin to lose faith.
In the last five years in New York City, 97 tenured teachers or school employees have been charged by the Department of Education with sexual misconduct.
[Snip]
...Under current New York law, an accusation is first vetted by an independent investigator. (In New York City, that's the special commissioner of investigation; elsewhere in the state, it can be an independent law firm or the local school superintendent.) Then the case goes before an employment arbitrator. The local teachers union and school district together choose the arbitrators, who in turn are paid up to $1,400 per day. And therein lies the problem.
For many arbitrators, their livelihood depends on pleasing the unions (whether the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, or other local unions). And the unions—believing that they are helping the cause of teachers by being weak on sexual predators—prefer suspensions and fines, and not dismissal...
[Snip]
Then there was teacher Steven Ostrin, who in 2010 was found to have asked a young girl to give him a striptease, harassed students by text, and engaged in sexual banter. The arbitrator in his case concluded that since the teacher hadn't actually solicited sex from students, the charges—all of which the teacher denied—warranted only a suspension.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
So, why aren’t the school districts and unions being held to the same standards as the NCAA has against Penn State? What is the difference?
“pass the trash” ping
But....I’m sure the Union will cut adrift anyone who doesn’t toe the line on Gay Marriage.
Good point. (The laws are designed to protect the teacher's unions, of course- the most important thing in the end to the unions is keeping as many dues-paying members as possible).
If the NCAA could extract $60 Million based on the findings, it appears, to me at least, that an enterprising, ambitious and hungry attorney could make tons of cash representing the families of these victims. Maybe put the unions out of business once and for all.
William “Willie” Sutton, notorious U.S. bank robber, stole an estimated $2 million during a forty-year criminal career.
Urban legend has it that when asked why he robbed banks he said “because that’s where the money is.”
Just like Willie, the perverts who prey on young children will focus on where they are...in the schools. Until the teachers’ unions prioritize the safety of the children over pay and benefits and, yes, protecting its members, the problem will not be addressed in any meaningful way.
It has been recently reported that California also has a huge problem with deviant teachers. It’s the liberal way to destroy any sense of morality and make life a hopeless disaster from childhood on.
I no longer trust adults that want to spend a large amount of time with other peoples children. It seems our schools are becoming a safe haven for pedophiles and perverts. Have you noticed that the louder the gay community screams the more sexual crimes we see against children. They are all crawling out of their holes now saying the moral are the haters.
I know liberals are a lost cause as you cannot have a functioning brain and belief most of the crap they believe but just how many more things must happen in our socialist public school system before conservatives and hopefully intelligent republicans remove their children from government schools?
You are knowingly sending your children/grandchildren into an indoctrination center staffed with communist union teachers.
Is it no wonder we cannot fathom how people can hate this country so much and would actually elect Progressives knowing fully well a progressive is simply a Marxist communist hiding behind a benign name.
Our schools have perfectly done the job laid forth in the communist manifesto yet we continue to give them an endless supply of our children to brainwash.
Good for Campbell Brown. I’ve seen plenty of lefty bias from her, but on this issue she has un-drunk the Kool-Aid.
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