Now I am all for unions. However I really think the NEA, National Education Association, is the main force behind the disturbing spiral downward in American education. They wield lots of political power and shape the education system in the United States.However it seems to me that as a union the really only care about keeping teachers employed and not educating students. They continually resist any attempts at reform. Maybe they need to step back a bit and look at what is going on with the kids they profess to love. Grades are poor across the country, we are being outshined by many other nations and they resist change. They need to realize there are many poor teachers and those teachers need to go away. Kids want to learn and they need teachers to engage them. I really believe that many teachers have no idea how to connect with kids.
Teachers, like students, need to held accountable for grades. How is it acceptable that teachers can have students fail or do poorly on a continual basis and they still keep their job. While there are many factors that play into this the ultimate measure is grades. A good teacher will have students that get good grades no matter how poor the school is.
The union needs to work on finding some programs that help eliminate bad teachers or else local governments will step up the firing of teachers at a whole school like they are starting to do. If this trend continues the union will itself in a continual spiral downwards and become just another weak and powerless force.
2 comments:
Good post, Mark.
I agree that education in this country is scraping bottom, and I agree that the NEA is responsible for much of it. However, I believe citizen apathy and allowing the government to do "what's right" by our kids has more to do with it than the teachers union. Since Reagan castrated unions in the 80's, the only time they have a bit of real power is when a sympathetic democrat is president; and "good" presidents these days have to walk in the middle of the road.
Unions seem to forget one thing; they represent Americans first and their dues paying membership second. Of course, some of their highest officers are paid as much as many corporate presidents and ceo's, and they will take care of their own sorry asses first.
You, me, parents, teachers, unions, and government are the ones who can change things. Checks and balances.
Good photo for the article you wrote.
Although I beleive there are many children who aren't getting what they deserve I feel that parents not allowing the teachers to do their job has harnessed much of the teaching that goes on in our schools. Teachers have become babysitters for bratty spoiled children whose parents don't hold them accountable for shit. A little hard love all the way around wouldn't hurt.
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