Posted on 02/06/2021 6:42:11 AM PST by Kaslin
Barack Obama’s first chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, famously, and cynically, said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” As has become increasingly clear, teachers unions across the nation have used that advice as their playbook during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exploiting a crisis, as the teachers unions have done for the past 11 months, carries significant risks, however, and the unions will likely soon understand that their strategy of stalling the reopening of schools has backfired. Exhausted parents and exasperated public officials – even some of the most far-left progressive advocates of teachers unions – are increasingly expressing their dismay at the unions’ unwillingness to allow children back into classrooms.
The unions have presented a two-pronged argument for keeping the classrooms closed. First, contrary to the evidence, they argue that virtual education is an adequate replacement for in-person instruction. The majority of students in America’s largest cities have been out of the classroom for almost an entire year, and we now have sufficient data and studies that refute the unions’ arguments. The nonprofit research organization the Rand Corporation, for example, recently produced a study detailing the many ways virtual education has failed to meet students’ academic and emotional needs.
The second part of the unions’ argument in favor of keeping classroom doors shut is the theory that teachers face an undue risk if they go back to in-person instruction. Again, the unions are resolutely determined to ignore the facts. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that schools pose no great risk of virus transmission, and schools in many parts of the world and in America have reopened safely. Even in cities with extreme lockdown measures such as Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York City, private schools have found ways to conduct in-person lessons, and to do so safely. Public schools have opened in many districts, as states across the country have opened.
Scientific facts are stubborn things, but the unions seem not to care.
There are, however, other types of facts at play, and the unions would be well-advised to take note of two facts, in particular. Fact number one: parents are increasingly wary of the unions’ antics, and, fact number two: progressive officials in Democrat-run cities (normally so accommodating to the unions’ demands) are increasingly willing to tell the public the real reason classrooms are closed – the unions are playing games.
It should come as no surprise that as parents have gotten wise to the teachers unions’ endless delaying strategies, their positive image of the unions has declined. Last August’s annual Rasmussen poll on public impressions of teacher unions shows a decline in the unions’ image, as more Americans believe the unions are looking out for themselves more than they are for students.
Parents are expressing their displeasure with the unions not only through their answers to public opinion polls but also through an even more powerful form of expression – by taking their children out of the public school system.
As private schools have prioritized in-person instruction, parents have flocked to those schools, even where tuition costs are steep.
Homeschooling is also on the rise, and more parents are taking their children out of virtual schooling that revolves around teachers unions, preferring instead to have the flexibility and control of their children’s education.
At the same time that parents are questioning why the teachers unions have so much control over when the schools are allowed to reopen, liberal mayors and city officials are showing similar levels of frustration.
Washington, DC’s liberal mayor Muriel Bowser showed her dismay this past week with the teachers unions’ threat to stage protest and stay home from their first week back in classrooms. “I have to tell you that, just like anyone who is sitting here, when your boss tells you that this [is] where you need to be at work, that’s where you got to be.”
Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, no conservative, to be sure, has been in a heated match with the union there for months. Last week, she noted that her administration has been “a voice and advocate for those parents who just want options. And in this day, the CTU [Chicago Teachers Union] leadership has failed and left us with a big bag of nothing.”
“A big bag of nothing” is a fair assessment of what many parents feel online schooling has provided for their children.
There’s a fine line between Rahm Emanuel’s exhortation to make sure a crisis “never goes to waste,” and turning a health crisis into a national education emergency, and using children as pawns in a political struggle. If the unions don’t alter their stance and start prioritizing children’s education, they may quickly find they have no bargaining chips left to play.
The deandre such. They have been ignored.
A politician in the movie “Dead Zone”. Christopher Walken was the protagonist, I don’t remember Sheen’s character’s name
One friend has 2 daughters in the local area public HS. Both opted for ‘mixed’ instruction — which is 2 days in-class and 3 at home online. NONE of the regular teachers are in class. In-class instruction consists of opening their chromebooks and watching the teacher instruct the class in exactly the same way as they would be viewing it if they were at home. The classes are being ‘monitored’ by teaching assistants at an additional cost that nobody is willing to say. Cafeteria is a cold box lunch. Both girls gave up on it and transferred back to straight remote instruction.
“Emotional needs” means the need for children and teens to get away from the horrors of “virtual learning” (spending all day all alone in a dark bedroom in front of a screen with nothing but black squares month after month).
It’s really soul deadening
In CA, it’s because Newsom doesn’t want that. What parents in my district are doing is working on recalling the school board, which is in the pocket of the unions. School boards at times go even further than the state in keeping schools shut. And SF and LA are now suing their respective school districts. The districts can blame the unions but they and the governors are allowing this.
I can only assume that the reason the teachers continue to be paid while not returning to classrooms is because of language in their Labor Contract. If however they refuse an order by their Cities to return wouldn’t they be in violation of their contract and subject to withholding their pay, suspension and/or termination? What am I missing? Somebody please help me on this.
There is one stated reason teachers cite for teachers to unionize, I’ve learned. Because they are alone with children, it’s to protect themselves from claims from parents or kids falsely claiming abuse etc. However schools could instead offer the “2 deep” (2 adults present) policy the Boy Scouts uses to mitigate this.
The teachers unions DO NOT CARE about polls or what’s best for the children. All they’ve ever cared about is how much money and benefits can they extort from the taxpayer for the least amount of work. Period. Once you come to that understanding everything else makes sense.
Your story confirms my theory...Many teachers are happy to work from home...They will not go back to the classroom without a big fight...
Working from home, teachers don't have to "deal with brats"...Dealing with brats is part of the job...When they were hired, they were expected to deal with brats...
This ping list is for the other articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself)
The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.
Many people are just naive...They continue to believe that teachers' unions really care about students...I am frustrated with such people...Those people tend to vote for tax increases supported by teachers' unions...
The same thing is happening to one of my granddaughters. She’s a sophomore and her teacher refuses to show up for in person learning. The school district hired an aide who sits in the classroom. My daughter-in-law really went off on the principal and superintendent who pulled their kids out of the school and opted for private school.
May the demon-infested leftist scum devour each other, and leave the humans in peace.
Thank you so very much for pointing out my obvious typo.
As long as it has no effect on their responsibilities, duties or obligations with their Taxpayer Funded job , salary or benefits.
In addition, these Teachers Unions and/or Associations are very actively protecting those “teachers” who are members of ANTIFA and/or Pedophiles. Don’t overlook those salient points.
I’m an old school teacher. Here’s my take. For a year now I’ve been lectured to about the global pandemic and how it’s killing everyone. Businesses closed, can’t eat in a restaurant, city closed my favorite park. Masks fricken everywhere. Now all of a sudden our district/state says school will be open but masks must be worn and social distancing must be enforced, except where classes are physically to small and they have to sit by each other. Don’t give me this convenient science crap. Is this covid real or not. I do my job but don’t just waffle and change everything at will. Personally I hope all teachers get it and then sue the district.
No they didn’t. They are not beholden to students or parents. They got their child sniffing chomo elected. They get their bail outs. They get their pay checks for not teaching. They get their property taxes. How did they “overplay” their hand?
Obviously we don't need it. If we did need it we would have it. But we don't.
Teachers don't want to go to class? Fine.
Fire 80% of them and go virtual. Those who want it will get it. Those who don't want it go to work.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.