Posted on 09/18/2011 11:36:36 AM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
Tuesday, the new academic year ground to a halt for Roman Catholic high schools in the Philadelphia area. The archdiocese called off classes for about 16,500 students because of a teachers strike. The local chapter of the Association of Catholic Teachers, representing 700 Catholic high school teachers from 17 different schools, rejected the archdiocese’s contract proposal last week and began its strike Sept. 6.
Theresa Ryan-Szott, chief negotiator for the archdiocese, said bargaining has been going on since March but has moved “at a snail’s pace” because of what she called union foot-dragging. The work stoppage entered its second week as bargaining between the teachers union and school system stalled largely over issues of job security and working conditions.
Union members oppose provisions regarding sick leave, the planned use of part-time instructors, and the displacement of teachers affected by school closings. They also demand salary increases of 14.5 percent and more respect.
System officials said union resistance is preventing them from modernizing the schools and instituting innovations such as online grading. They noted the proposed part-time instructors would be used for niche classes such as engineering, robotics, and Mandarin, not core subjects.
According to the archdiocese’s website, the proposed contract “was a watershed agreement aiming to allow our schools to adapt to the ever-changing 21st century educational landscape and provide our students with the tools to succeed.”
The union has asked for mediation twice, but the archdiocese refused both times. “We believe that we know our students, our teachers, our parents, and our schools better than any outsider,” Ryan-Szott said. Last Sunday, the two sides exchanged proposals, but the archdiocese said the union “did not want any face-to-face discussions with the full Archdiocesan Negotiating Team.”
Superintendent Mary Rochford added, “We are in a position that we should not be in. The contract needs to change so that it is there to advance educational initiatives and programs that our students need. Our schools need to be excellent, timely, and relevant for our children and we cannot work in a contract that ties our hands to that.”
I believe that unionized Catholic school teachers are not the norm. No catholic school I have ever been involved with had a union. This is Philthadelphia we’re talking about.
It has never been exclusively religious orders in Catholic schools. When I graduated from a Los Angeles area Catholic high school in 1978 I'd say the faculty was only about 1/3 religious (priests/brothers/nuns.)
Excuse me for being ignorant but what is to become of all these students?
Philly ping
Ctholics have an ace in the hole that Public schools do not.
They can just close down and send the kids to public school.
If this diocese is like the Washington Diocese it is losing money on it;s schools every year anyway. Close them down and let these fine teachers find another job.Hire the best back to teach CCD.
Already in the 1950s Catholic grade schools had lots of “lay teachers” because there weren’t enough nuns even then (before the Vatican II-era exodus).
Simple solution: close all the schools and put all 700 of those unionists out of work.
Then encourage parents to take over the schools as private independent institutions and hire only those Catholic teachers who conform to parental expectations. The buildings can simply be leased out to the private independent schools for $1 / year.
These schools could use the word “Catholic” in their name as long as the Archbishop is assured that they reflect Catholic values and teaching. If not, they lose the right to be called Catholic and the lease expires after the current school year.
Problem solved.
I could be wrong about this but I would bet that this union has never supported a GOP candidate that has advocated school choice. One where tax dollars can be deferred if you move your child out of a failing Philly school into an archdiocese school. In fact I never recall a catholic school teacher’s union anywhere supporting this concept.
ping
i like your ideas!
“subcontract” the schools out.
there are a LOT of unemployed people, with good experience, who’d do a good job of teaching, without
“demand salary increases of 14.5 percent”
that’s just insane, in the current economy.
almost like most of these teachers, and their union leadership, WANT the catholic schools to shut down...
I am a Catholic High School teacher in NYC and am part of a union that represents Parish High School Teachers and Elementary School Teachers. Currently, we are working without a contract as we have done several times in the past, while negotiations take place. It is a very difficult environment as scores of NYC Catholic Schools have closed over the past few years due to the economy, rising fuel costs, rising insurance costs, rising health care costs, and the fact that liberals have continually squashed any attempt to approve a voucher program.
I teach in an all boys school where 40 % of the students live in the poorest Congressional District in the United States. The class of 2011 had a 99% graduation rate with a full REGENTS diploma. That’s more than twice the percentage than the NYC Public School system. The annual per student cost for a NYC Public HS student is over $18,000. Ours is about half that. The top pay for a Catholic HS school teacher, Masters + 30 credits and 17 years experience is $60,000 per year. The top Public School pay is more than double that.
We know about the pay issues going in. I can’t speak for Public School Teachers, but what we do in Catholic School is truly a calling to educate young men academically and help them in their spiritual growth. We truly educate the entire student. Our union has never walked out and I don’t honestly know if I could. A different Catholic HS union walked two years ago and the union was broken. I’m quite sure that posters would understand the frustration when the Archdiocese of New York’s proposals start with a 0 % raise and an increase in health care contributions.
These are tough times. Please pray that we work all this out and I ask that you not be so judgemental of Catholic School unions. We don’t have anyone in rubber rooms. We don’t have anyone not working and getting paid. As I stated, our union exists to negotiate contracts, handle health care coverage, pensions, and to provide representation in cases of serious problems between teachers and administration or teachers and students. The days of handling these issues as individuals are long gone. I hope that the Philly teachers work out their issues quickly. As in NYC, for many students, Catholic Schools provide the ONLY way out of the accepted malaise that plagues the inner cities. The need to keep these schools open has never been greater. I hope all see this before its too late.
When I went to Cathoilc schools, most of the teachers were nuns with a few non nuns.
I wished for a teachers strike when I was a kid. Those nuns were aweful.
When I went to Cathoilc schools, most of the teachers were nuns with a few non nuns.
I wished for a teachers strike when I was a kid. Those nuns were aweful.
Get your uniforms out.They might be going back tomorrow.-Fox news.
About 30 years ago, when young women and men lost the desire to join a religious order. Many looked at the orders, saw they had, in many cases, lost the faith, and made the decision that they didn't want to make a life long commitment to them.
I'd just as soon my kids had a faithful LAY teacher than a wishy-washy nun, brother, or priest.
CCD teachers are volunteers.
Thanks for the explanation, and many good wishes on your success helping your young men succeed.
Not everyone gets raises every year. A few months ago I knew a guy who had taken a 25 percent pay cut. I took an 11 percent cut 4 years ago. If your employer is struggling....
These are terrible times.
I appreciate your insightful and revelant post. I feel I should apologize for jumping in there with strongly adversarial language when I did not know all the facts.
It’s another case of “post first, think later” on my part. Thanks you for corrcting some of my/our misconceptions.
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