CHECKMATING CHARTERS [re: teachers unions versus charter schools]

WORLD magazine ^ | June 22, 2002 | Lynn Vincent

[Cacique]

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[Teacher317]

Mr. Riley’s objection to unionizing Mueller teachers isn’t political. It’s just that, like Ms. Chan and other charter operators around the nation, he believes union structure is at loggerheads with charters’ attempts at real reform.
"We’ve seen time and time again where school employees’ interests conflict with the interests of children," Mr. Riley said. "And it seems like the kids always lose."

BUMP!

[Stand Watch Listen]

indexing

[EdReform]

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[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

Guys,A teacher's union promotes the union. THAT is its job. NOT educating children. Peace and love, George.

[Carry_Okie]

It just can't be the union. Teachers love children and are dedicated to their life's work. They would never place their own interests above the children.

Here is what we need to do about these vicious monsters at the NEA here in California:

1. Enforce the U.S. Supreme Court decision Communications Workers v. Beck (487 US 735, 1988).

2. Assist formation of corporate service associations. Offer State funding for local school districts to divest into smaller, more personalized institutions.

3. Use the private and home education market to develop and test learning tools and services. Private validation services could assess product performance against product claims. School boards would be free to select guaranteed products for use in public schools.

4. Insurance on the guarantee would cover the cost of remedial education if the product fails to meet warranted performance.

5. Veto any bill requiring home and private educators to conform to State teacher certification standards.

6. Veto any bill requiring State supervision of home schools.

7. Analyze any Federal program for insufficient funds and unintended consequences suspecting unfunded mandates. Cite New York v. United States (505 US 144, 1992).

8. Publicly excoriate Bill Lockyer at every opportunity.

[madfly]

thanks for the ping

[Willie Green]

Guys,A teacher's union promotes the union. THAT is its job.

Nothing wrong with that, George, IF that's all it did.
Unions, like corporations, or Government, are neither inherently good nor evil.
The merely exist as artificial entities, acting as part of the overall system of checks and balances of power.
What IS objectionable, is when unions are hijacked and begin promoting political agendas that do NOT necessarily represent the immediate interests of their members.

[madfly]

ping

[Joe Brower]

FYI, in case you haven't been pinged already.

[Fish out of Water]

*Index Bump

[Aquinasfan]

Al Shanker, the former head of the AFT once said: "When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children."

[blackie]

top the attacks by the wacko, extreme left-wing, teacher union-nazis terrorist's on our Freedoms !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Molon Labe !!

[Eska]

You right on with schools being funded and thus controlled by feds; all schools. The implication of standards & benchmarks should scare the heck out of all private schools and homeschoolers. There lies the future designs of federal control.

Biggest problem in schools today isn't the ultra-liberal NEA; breakdown of the American family (societal/moral values) and the dysfunction it entails is the real culprit. It all starts in the home. How do we correct this massive problem? That's the big question, not if the NEA is indoctrinating our youth.

I really don't think the public schools will ever change. The NEA, academics, education industry, politicals, and yes even the repubs are all in bed together. Take a short look at the funding system and I think you will concur. The NEA makes me sick also, but I realize all the homeschoolers & conservatives don't even come close the clout of the NEA.

I'd like to see more conservatives choose teaching as a career. That's the only way the NEA will ever change.

[summer]

Thanks for the ping on this very informative article, Joe.

Here in FL, Gov Jeb Bush co-founded the state's very first charter school, in a low income commmunity, Liberty City, near Miami. The other person who worked with Gov Bush to found this school is a well known black leader in FL.

Charter schools have been encouraged in FL under Gov Bush, but a handful of FL charter schools have also experiened the problems cited in this article here:

But not all reform-minded conservatives are happy with charters’ progress. Fordham Foundation’s Chester Finn, for example, supports charters, but charges that the movement is "leaderless," "rudderless," and "losing its edge." Despite generally positive reports such as those cited above, Mr. Finn says incidents of poor planning, ill-conceived state laws, and a small but visible group of greedy charter operators threaten to turn charters into a "faux reform."

On the other hand, because Gov Bush wants student achievement to rise in a big way, he has actually allowed chart school "DISTRICTS" in FL, meaning, a public school district can be waived from a series of state regulations in exchange for meeting certain performance goals. I think that's great.

Speaking now as a teacher, here is the problem I see loominig on the horizon, and it is already hinted in this article: no one speaks for teachers -- except the union.

I think more teachers would be willing to experiment by teaching in charter schools if they felt assured that someone, somewhere was also watching out for their interests. But, only the union claims to look out for teachers, even though the union, time and again, is actually looking out for a host of other matters not pertaining at all to teachers.

There has to be a new organization, a professional organzation, willing to engage in both education reform, for the benefit of students, AND willing to allow itself to be a voice for teachers who DO want change. Right now, such an organization does not exist on a large national scale.

And, because such an alterantive organzation does not exist on a wide scale, teachers can be subject to intimidation, and easily find themselves the subject of harassment if they are on the "wrong" side of an issue or speak too loudly.

To be a teacher in this highly charged political climate is tough. For those teachers who want change, it is particularly frightening, because you do not want to spend all your time defending yourself against harassment, false charges, etc. Until this climate changes, and student achievement and teachers interested in reform can find both their interests represented by a professional organization which is not the NEA, the change will be slower than it could otherwise have been, because more reform minded teachers may choose to leave the teaching profession than stay and be in the midst of what often feels like a war.

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks for the ping.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

thanks for the ping

[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

Willie, There is a BIG problem with all unions whose members and management recieve "state" funds for their livelyhood {private sector taxpayer money only}. When they lobby legislators whose money also comes from private sector taxpayer's money only. INCLUDING any and all "taxes" they "pay". It is a well thought out scam that hurts neither the "giver" {Legislators}, NOR the recievers {union members}, but ONLY the private sector taxpayer.

But, the educational unions have NOTHING to do with bettering education, but with filling the union coffers, getting high pay and perks for union leadership, and making teachers fat and happy {more pay, fewer hours} at the expense of the private sector taxpayer ONLY.

By the way, I meant to "ping" you to Post 30 on the United airlines thread, but "missed". Peace and love, George.