I in no way support the NEA. Most of the teachers I know who belong to the NEA and its affiliates do so not because they agree with the NEA, but because membership is one of the few ways to obtain liability insurance, and they are afraid of being sued by a parent one day.
In my state, the only way I've found of obtaining professional liability insurance is through a teacher's organization - fortunately, we have an alternative to the NEA, although the NEA's insurance is regarded as being superior to the alternative. I refuse to donate my money to the NEA, but since I teach lab sciences I don't feel I can afford to be without insurance.
I am one of those people who doesn't support uniforms. I know it is good for some students and in some districts, but over all, as a general rule I do not like them.
As a parent I'd prefer to buy uniforms, and as a teacher I think the dress code might be easier to enforce with uniforms, but the parents in our district don't want them, and high school aged students are going to find ways to bend and skirt the rules if at all possible in any case. I do get tired of boys with waistbands around their thighs and girls with tummies hanging out and skirts split to their crotches however.
I wish it were much better though.
Me too. Right now my biggest beef is students who've been socially promoted to the high school level and are still reading at primary grade level. It's very frustrating for all of us when the students just don't have the skills to do high school level work.
I have read numerous times about insurance that teachers can pick up from other sources than the NEA. I don't have a link or name right now though.
Do you know why this idea, of getting insurance through other sources hasn't taken off yet?
What can we do to get the word to teachers who want out of the NEA, that there are alternatives to the NEA?
I believe that is an important step to cleaning the system up,protecting good teachers and breaking the strong hold of the NEA.