Does the teachers' union play a positive role in Minnesota schools?
Posted at 5:00 AM on March 31, 2010
by Eric Ringham
(59 Comments)
Filed under: Education
Gov. Tim Pawlenty blames the teachers' union for Minnesota's failure to win federal Race to the Top money. Union leaders blame the state's application process. Today's Question: Does the teachers' union play a positive role in Minnesota schools?
Comments (59)
It's not the union's fault MN didn't get funds for Race to the Top - why would the Pres. give funds to a state that has is one of the top states as far as education goes. Unions are not responsible for keeping bad teachers in a district - if that's happening, administration is not doing it's job.
When funding is linked to test scores, we have a problem in education - not every child is good at taking tests, but could prove his/her knowledge of a subject some other way, but gee - they can't - it's paper and pencil (or computer generated) tests. Not all children come from loving, caring homes where all their needs are met, but it's the teacher's job to have them all reading by gr. 3. When is the family going to step up and take some responisibility?
As a teacher I believe that i need to give 110% to my students everyday, as a citizen and parent I believe I have a right to a union, fair compensation for my skills and education ( a B.A. ,M.A. and more amounting to 8 years of higher education) and insurance for me and my family. It frustrates me to no end that so many people are willing to make other responsible for their children. Teachers see students for 6 to 7 hours a day, PARENTS have them for the rest. Want you child to improve in reading, try reading with them, worried about their physical activity try going on a walk with them, want to know what they know try asking them! Teachers are public servants not public slaves and if you think you can do better by all means do it! I am a young teacher and I DO advocate for change in schools but not changes the disrespect and undervalue my profession, I love my job because I get to work with awesome kids everyday and help them learn and grow but being blamed for all the problems is disheartening and makes one feel they need to be defensive. Maybe teachers unions would be more open to compromise if the other side didn't come in pointing fingers and telling us how terrible we are?
The teacher’s union plays a positive role in Minnesota schools by ensuring that the voices of the people with the most education and training to guide Minnesota schools—are heard.
I see the issue in a broader context. Our friend, Governor Pawlenty, was overjoyed to receive the billions of Stimulus money to help balance the MN state budget deficit that also added billions to the Federal deficit.
However, he has gone on a national rampage demonizing "Big Government spending", wanting to cripple it with Elin Woods' golf club.
Can he really have it both ways?
Now he was denied $250 million that he could have used to increase state revenues. He is upset that Big Government is not being Big Government by not giving him money. Instead of rejoicing that Big Government is getting smaller,(most of the Race to to Top money was not doled out) he is on another tantrum not being able to spend Big Government's money.
Our Friend, Governor Pawlenty, needs to cooperate with his friends in Education Minnesota so he can grab the Big Government money and run for his presidential aspirations. That way, he can brag how he is a change agent in public education, and he then again casually forgets how he contributed to the ballooning national debt. He has his cake, and he eats it too.
If a teacher gets gets excellent results from students and earns 60,000 per year, should you be able to replace that teacher with a different teacher who gets the same results, but is willing to work for $35,000 per year?
Ending tenure would result in a race to the bottom, first in terms of teachers rights, then in terms of teacher quality. Especially in a time a recession, tenure is an absolute must. Back when schools were run by the market, it was teacher unions that improved the quality of education for all students. Accountability is an issue that unions, legislatures and local school boards are working on and is a continuous and democratic process.
If we accept that education is a public good, then there needs to be protection of student rights and protection of teacher rights in place.
Tenure is not the problem nor are unions. Unions are the strongest advocates for high quality public education. Attacking teacher unions is a political move, not one related to improving student achievement.
Whose rhetoric are we supposed to believe? The greedy, turf-protecting teachers' union that instists on such anti-free-market principles as fairness for teachers and that teachers be treated like "professionals" (of all the preposterous ideas!)? Or our noble, high-minded governor with ambitions of running the whole country exactly as well as he's run our state and has "not ruled out" running for president? One of those two clearly has a vested interest in demagoguery rather than in the truth.
Jaime Escalante, the Los Angeles high school teacher who taught the nation that inner-city students could master subjects as demanding as calculus, died Tuesday. The LA Times reported that this outstanding teacher was unpopular with fellow teachers because he liked to be judged by his results, a concept resisted by the majority of his profession. Minnesota Public Radio reported that the Teachers’ Union considered him a prima donna, which influenced his decision to leave his position, and the outstanding work he was doing.
America needs outstanding teachers, if it is to remain a strong nation. The Teachers’ Union emphasis is on protecting the jobs of its members whether good, bad, or indifferent. Unfortunately it isn’t really acting in good teachers’ best interests because unless overall teaching quality improves, teacher jobs will be less secure. It is in the interest of the teachers, and the state of Minnesota, to win federal Race to the Top money. We all should be promoting teachers such as Jaime Escalante, and not allowing the union to intimidate them in a misguided effort to protect the lowest performing teachers. Improving the knowledge of students needs to be how teachers are evaluated, and teachers who are unproductive need to be upgraded or moved to another profession.
As is often the case with these polarizing issues, the truth lies somewhere in between. There are many good and dedicated teachers in Minnesota's schools. Likewise, as in any other workforce, there are those who are substandard and should not be teaching.
In my opinion the union wields inordinate power in protecting those teachers who either need improvement or should be reomoved. I have worked in school systems for over 20 years, and anyone who has done so understands the obstructive nature of the union.
I am upset at Governor Pawlenty making such polarizing remarks about teacher unions. Our union was willing to work with the Minnesota Department of Education, but they weren't given enough information by the Department to make an informed decision. They didn't fell comfortable about supporting the Department's application for the grant money for the Race to the Top when they couldn't be sure how the money was going to be used and how effective the money would be if it was tied so directly to state test scores.
Ask any teacher... we are not all give the same raw material to work with like people who work in a car factory. We have many individuals with many different needs and to rate them all on the same general scale is ridiculous. I would invite anybody, and especially Governor Pawlenty, to come and teach for a week in any classroom in any grade to see if it's possible to have everybody learning at the same rate to get the same scores in testing all the time.
Teachers who are not good at their jobs are found out fairly quickly and there is a system in place to either help them to become better or, if necessary, let them go. I am not aware of any teacher in my school who is not pulling his/her weight and not working many extra hours to give the students the best education he/she can.
Our union has a very good relaltionship with our district's administration. Our union is instrumental in improving the quality of our teaching because they not only look out for our well-being, but they give us many opportunities to improve our teaching practices such as workshops, mentoring, etc. I can't believe that some of the comments are so against unions. The union is there for teachers to look at all angles of any legislative action, to protect us from lawsuits and to protect our rights as employees. I get very tired of hearing anti-union rhetoric when it is unions that gave ALL of us a five-day week, sick days, and vacation time and many other benefits as well. Our union is what makes us the effective teachers we are today because of its support.
When I was in a corporate sales environment, I saw the suck-ups get promotions, the mediocre move into management, and the truly corrupt become CEO's. As a teacher, I see far fewer lazy, uncaring employees than I did in the business world (mostly because if you aren't on your toes, your students will eat you alive). If we lose unions, the first teachers let go will not be those who are under performing, but rather those who stand up for their students and challenge the system. The union is the only protection I have when I challenge the status quo - and isn't that real reform?
Teachers have way too much control and say over what does and does not happen in all public schools at all grade levels. When is the M-F 8:00-4:00 mindset going to change. Today's world does not work on bankers hours, nor can parents take time off from work to accomodate the teacher schedule.
It would be so nice to see some of the tenured staff be replaced by young, enthusiastic, and hungry teachers. It is hard to watch my grandchildren have the same teacher(s) that their parents had; along with doing the same projects...especially when the parents are 35 years old...
Unions were a necessity at one time but that is no longer the case. Change is good it creates opportunity.
Unions may have there place, but it is not in the school. I would rather have a teacher that excels on their merits, not on tenure.
A merit based system would be far better than what the unions have imposed on the school systems of this country. As a parent I would rather have a good teacher who really cares about teaching my kids keep their job instead of the teacher who's only reason for being kept on the job is tenure. Under the present system the new teacher who cares is fired while the tenured teacher who doesn't care is kept on board.
Not a system that spells success in my mind.
Reading the comments above - I commend the people for standing up for Education Minnesota.
OMG - the others are commenting on Education Minnesota without ANY knowledge of what Education Minnesota does and what Education Minnesota is about. I don't necessarily agree with everything a Union does but this union protects our teachers.
Just an FYI for those that think the teachers do not put in their time - Teachers do not just work their hours at school - teachers work their day at school and then they still have to correct papers, prep for the next school day, etc. - they spend a lot of hours "off the clock" working for our students.
Education Minnesota does not control what the school districts spend their State Funding on. Education Minnesota does not decide whether or not we have a 9 month school year or not.
Where is all the misinformation coming from. People seem think they know a lot more than they actually do. They should not comment at all unless they know the facts!
It is sad to see that my favorite news source is adding to the current national spirit of polarization.
Absolutely not! The teacher's union is an obstruction to improving the education system.
To those of you thinking back to your years in high school and "knowing what the teachers' union did to make your school horrible," I feel compelled to ask- do you really know what the union did for your school?
As a teacher, and the President of our local association I am constantly amazed and frustrated at how students and community members misconstrue the truth when they start quoting facts about my job, my benefits, and my contribution to our community.
My three favorite things about teaching are not June, July, and August. I am a teacher because I love what I do and I truly enjoy working with students. I could make considerably more money working in the private sector as a translator, but that is not what I want to do.
The work and dedication it takes to have a good school is amazing. Yes, I know there are some teachers that aren't that good, or some that should have retired years ago. Did you ever wonder what was done to help these "poor" or "not good" teachers? Did the administration, during their annual observations, give advice to help the "bad" teacher improve? Or the teacher that should have retired- have you considered the fact that the teacher maybe cannot afford to stop teaching because of the high cost of health insurance?
If a teacher is not performing up to the standards and requirements of the school, the administration can follow the procedure set forth by the union to terminate. With proper documentation of work performance, it isn't that difficult to get rid of a teacher.
I will end this by saying to all of you out there that think you know how to do my job- why don't you spend a day or two volunteering at your local school and see what it is really like to be in a school for a day. Then maybe, just maybe, you will have an idea what it is like to be a teacher.
Not at present, they seem to be too obstructionist for their own good. They need to pick their battles carefully and this one isn't going so well for them. They should be a little more open to compromise.
It's been a few years since I graduated but I suffered from a series of horrendous teachers that had no business being around children. When the French teacher was deemed too nuts for the high school, they transferred him to the junior high. The godd teachers were usually gone after their first year because they were seen as a threat to the status quo and no one wanted them to get tenure. And the teachers' union made it all possible. All I know is I barely made it through without killing myself.
I've been out of high school for ten years and I'm not involved in the school system now, so I can't say if the teacher's union is still problematic. However, I can tell you that twelve years ago, when our high school indeterminately switched from block scheduling to a regular schedule, at the request of the teacher's union (their reasoning was that teacher's working block schedules worked technically longer hours than the other teachers in our district), the union was definitely a problem. I spent the first few weeks of my Junior year working with the teacher's union, the school board, our teachers, and the student body, to come to a compromise on block scheduling. The teachers at our school liked it, the students liked it, but the teacher's union had a problem with it. In the end, we were able to keep block scheduling for that school year, but we were forced back in to regular schedules the next year.
When the teacher's union works against the wishes of the teachers, and against the best interests of the students, the teacher's union is definitely playing a negative role.
When the teacher's union obstructs positive change in our state education system as it clearly did in the case of race to the top and when it protects bad teachers and keeps them in classrooms instead of rewarding good ones, the teacher's union is a clear detriment to our education system.
The union isn't about education; it is about increasing teacher pay and protecting its dues. Sometimes this is in the interest of students. But anyone who thinks that the union is always aligned with increasing educational levels needs to look at the institution more objectively.
Sorry, boys and girls
I just spent an hour writing a very informative and thoughtful comment on today's question, but when I clicked on "preview" it disappeared. You'll just have to wait for the definitive answer at another medium near you.
Yes, with the knowledge that educating a child is the responsibility of more than just teachers. Research proves that the most successful students need education 24/7. Don't blame unions for parent's mistakes and poor government funding.
I am a teacher and I am forced to be a member of our local union (by that I mean that 85% of the union dues are taken out whether I am a member or not). I have never been a fan of unions in any field because I think they do more to negatively affect teacher performance than anything else. Our "free-market" economy is supposed to be based on competition. There is no competition for jobs amongst teachers once they receive tenure. I celebrated my tenure (sarcastically) because I knew that unless I hit a kid or bought alcohol for one of them I was never going to lose my job. That really motivates people to do their job well. I teach with a lot of great teachers in my districts, and I teach with several, that if they were in another field, would be fired. They complain constantly about changes that are designed to improve the education system for our customers, the students. I understand the the union makes salary negotiations runs easier, and it may smooth over a dispute from time-to-time, but ultimately the goal is teaching. In my professional opinion, the teachers' union is hurting the reputation of good teachers and it is hurting the students by keeping poor teachers in the classrooms. Yes, they can be fired, but there are too many hoops that an administration must jump through to do it. Most jobs can fire you for not doing your job, but not the education field, and that is just plain wrong.
1) Those who are not teachers may not realize that "tenure" in Minnesota's public schools, known as "continuing contract" in all our districts other than Duluth, Saint Paul, and Minneapolis, does NOT ensure employment for life. "Tenure" does NOT keep incompetent teachers in classrooms. If such teachers remain employed, school administrators who are responsible for evaluating and correcting their deficient performance have not done so. As a union of educators, Education Minnesota does not employ and cannot guarantee "lifetime employment" for any teacher. It does, however, work to insure that "due process' is followed when teachers are threatened with sanctions by their administrators and districts. Participation in "Race to the Top" as proposed by Minnesota's Department of Education sought teachers' surrender of this contractual right, which Education Minnesota could not support.
2) Educational Minnesota and its national affiliates (NEA and AFT) offer reasonable proposals for resolving the weaknesses of our public school system. They do so out of concern for both the instructional effectiveness of their members AND concern for the success of their members' students.
No. How do you take seriously a system that offers a short school day, a short school year punctuated with multilple holidays so their members never have to work 5 consecutive days for 4 consecutive weeks for any given month.. Name one other industry that shuts down the entire system for 2 days, after they've been back to work for approximately one month for a convention that draws maybe 10% of their members. Can you see that happening with the AMA or the Bar Association? I don't think so.
Yes, Unions helped to form this country and the jobs many of us have. Without unions, contract negotiations would be so hard to figure out, because most school districts have so many teachers. They are the voice of the populace of teachers in a district. I am happy to have a voice in a union and to have representatives looking out for the well being of the teachers in our district. I think they are doing a great job. Because of them, I can focus more on teaching my children and not worrying about union things.
From what I can see, it seems that the teacher's unions (both in MN and the rest of the country) are serving only to hold our schools back. They oppose change when we are clearly stagnant, and they refuse to promote the active review of teachers or hold principals accountable for allowing sub par educators to remain in schools. Having graduated from Bemidji High School in '03, I still have vivid memories of uninterested, apathetic teachers that were just hanging on with their tenure (with the exception of a few bright stars). I remember being extremely frustrated at their lack of effort, as I was genuinely interested in the subjects taught and desperate to actually LEARN something. To me that is just disgraceful. We need more stringent requirements for teacher's certification, better pay to attract greater talent, and ACTIVE review of teachers, with student and parent input. It's easy to dismiss students as headstrong and biased, but they are the most directly experienced voices regarding teacher performance. If we don't change this we are only going to fall farther and farther behind the rest of the world (ie China, India and Japan). This is a global job market, and there's no excuse for selling our future generations short.
No. I would be more than happy to support paying our good teachers for the work they do, but teachers need to stand on their merit just as most every other worker does every day. I have spent the first half of this year undoing the damage done last year by a poor teacher -- who is, unfortunately, still in the system and on his way to tenure. I agree we have wonderful, hard-working teachers in the system, but have seen just as many teachers who are enjoying their guaranteed income at the expense of our children. A first year teacher should enter the workforce enthusiastic and excited to be teaching my child, not spending his time downloading to his Ipod and adding free extra credit points to tests to bring up results. A tenured teacher should not be the "most valued" because he shows movies most every day as his education tool. Our kids and our teachers deserve more. Both should be encouraged to be the best and brightest. Our family will be exploring other options for educating our child where he will be encouraged to achieve his full potential and will see people modeling this behavior.
All the public was told about "Race To The Top" was that we could get all kinds of money for our schools. Of course people would be upset then when any group would be against that. How can you turn down FREE money when our econcomy is the way that it is? But you need to look deeper at the factors and issues that were involved and see that your education union was concerned with far more than money. Our union works toward quality education in our schools. Students are a main concern and focus. Sometimes, things that look great on the outside are not so great on the inside. I've been in public education for near 30 years now and taught in several states. Education Minnesota far surpasses in being positive energy for our schools and students. Education Minnesota has been instrumental in the creation and implimentation of programs and standards that protect the education of ourt students. AND . .as I notice from most of the comments posted, most everyone refers only to the union being concerned or protective of what I get paid. Yes, teacher pay is a concern of the union as it is in ANY union. But it is a concern with pay as it relates to quality education. You get quality people when you are willing to pay for their services. Why should a person teach math for 5 dollars when they could go to the private sector and make 10 or 20 dollars using their skills? If ANYONE thinks my job is easy or I get paid a fortune . .You are more than welcome to come in and take my place for a day and find out what it is really like.
Yes, it does. If you think teachers are in this job for themselves, think again. Who would be in a job that gets no respect, paper work increases two-fold every year, and the four dollar a day raise I go this year? We are here for the children and if you don't believe that, spend a day in your nearest school and see what goes on. Minnesota has a very good public school system, but Gov. Pawlenty wants to turn them into schools like Texas where they hand you a testing manuel at the beginning of the year and you teach to that all year. Students will become fact memorizers and nothing more if he has his way. We have cut millions of dollars in our district the past ten years, but the funny thing is my salary hasn't increased that much. The numbers don't add up. I'll continue to work for the students in my room until I retire and if you don't believe that, tough bounce!
Teacher unions grew during the 60s, 70s, and 80s, as a response to thousands of teachers that lived in poverty back then and school board decisions to deny these teachers equitable pay raises. And when I say poverty, I mean, their incomes were often at or below the then federal poverty level. Back then, no matter how good a teacher was, she (and it usually was a woman) did not get a raise. In fact, teaching was once a field that women aspired to be, because it was one of the few jobs women were allowed to hold some 40 or more years ago. Thus, teacher unions are not designed to play a positive role in education--they are instead designed to help our society give due merit to teachers.
In some respects by asking your question you've fallen into the Gov. Pawlenty's framing of the educational system's problems "blame game." Gov. P's emphasis on individual teacher performance misses the point.
There are no people or groups to blame or praise, there are only people involved in the system. Strangely it is the system that governs performance, not individuals.
To improve performance we need to change the system; In order to change the system we need to examine our assumptions on how organizations function.
To change our thinking we need to be able to look at the educational system as just that, a system, rather than a concatination of individual inputs.
Comments texted to MPR (677-677):
Unions, including unions like Education Minnesota, are the primary reason workers have a 40 hour standard workweek, 8 hour days, vacation, breaks, and paid overtime. -Nathan, Minneapolis
Teachers, whether union or not, play an integral role in educating our youth and deserve our respect and support. -Leanne, Waconia
Why is Pawlenty seeing no big government handout as a bad thing? Perhaps he should be thanking the teachers union. -Patrick, Minneapolis
NO...union protects marginal teachers and greatly increases cost to educate our children. -anonymous
Absolutely the teachers union supports our essential teachers and our kids. -anonymous
No, unions do not encourage or promote innovation or efficiency. -anonymous
Yes, the union plays a positive role in Minnesota schools, not only for teachers but for students as well. Teacher working conditions are student learning conditions.
Blaming the unions fits right into the right wing agenda of public schools for none and vouchers for all. Governor Pawlenty would love to break the unions in MN schools and use that as a campaign sound bite (regardless of the cost to MN public school students) when he runs for president. Unions ensure that I will get paid as much as my colleague who happens to be a man and does the exact same work as I do. The union ensures that I will be fired only for just cause and not because I don't see eye to eye with my administrators. The union ensures that I will keep my job over a less experienced (but cheaper) teacher during these tough budget times. Unions have made teaching a secure profession. All workers deserve security, but please don't blame the teachers just because all employees haven't received such benefits through years of struggle.
In our community, the school is one of the larger employers. I can't imagine the effect on our area if teachers (who also pay taxes, by the way) weren't paid fair wages.
I find unions to be the one entity who truly understands what is going on in the schools because their members . .teachers and support staff . .are in the schools. They advocate for more funding because they see the harm that lack of money causes students and staff. With the Race to the Top, the union put forth a plan which was far more researched based than any other political agenda put forth by the governor. He has truly harmed our schools and someone needs to stand up to him.
I watched Tommy Thompson demonize the teacher's union in Wisconsin when he was governor, and I believe Gov. Pawlenty is trying to score political points the same way. It seems like this finger pointing tactic was not necessary in the past because Education Minnesota has always been a partner with lawmakers of both parties during the processes of educational change. I hope that will continue.
No. Teachers Unions represent teachers. No more, no less.
It's time for local school boards to stand up to these union bullies and fight for the kids.
The Teachers' Union helps keep issues that truly benefit kids' learning in front of legislators. It also helps keep administrators honest and fair.
As an active Education Minnesota Union member over the past 35 years, I am tired of blame tossing. An old adage that my mother passed onto me: "If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem." Education Minnesota as evolved throughout my teaching years to take a strong stance in providing high quality professional development for teachers. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our teaching strategies in order to enhance student learning. We are part of the solution!
We want no part of "Race to the Top." Our obsession with testing is hampering real efforts to improve at-risk students' lives. Not every student needs to aspire to be a rocket scientist. Every student should aspire to find their dream and go for it.
I'm a non-union teacher, but the teachers' union did the right thing here.
Larry Herbison
From the little I know, mostly based on friends who are teachers, our public school teachers do a difficult job under difficult conditions, put in a lot of "extra hours", etc. and the unions are one of the few factors keeping many teachers in the schools by standing up for teachers. I think "blame the unions" is a terrible idea.
NO. The teachers union is primarily interested in increasing the economic status of its members. Anything that interferes with that goal will not be supported in the long term.
Pawlenty blames teachers and the union for the gaps in student achievement, and I'm astounded that no one is looking at the parents of these kids to be accountable as well!! This is not a simple problem, but the blame is being channeled unfairly on the teachers union instead of anyone else. Why should politicians decide what needs to take place in the classrooms? Would you see a politician about your chronic back pain? As for the union role - they do more than advocate for teachers - they provide many professional development tools throughout the year that might not otherwise be available, but the simple truth is, if not for them who else would you see standing behind teachers!!! I think the great and powerful Gov, would change his tune if his employment was at a school and not the capitol! No one ever took a job as teaching to get rich - people take political offices to do that!
Sharon
If you look at the changes proposed to education in Minnesota, the union has always been willing to participate in the discussion and advocate for change that improves education for students. Unions have been willing to consider changes in education when the changes make improvements for the students.
Yesterday, this question was addressed by Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Larry Pogemilleron Midday. They said that the teacher's union is too large to effectively promote educational change in Minnesota. However, it is possible for different smaller sub-sections and individuals within the MN Teachers Union to effectively promote change.
YES. What non-teachers do not understand is that our union not only bargains for our rights and salaries but also acts as aprofessional organization that fights for quality education for all students and for quality among its members. It also provides training and at state and local levels provides meaningful staff development.
The vast majority of us don't have the necessary exposure to schools to answer the question. Responses thus far seem to be based primarily on biases based on political beliefs rather than on evidence.
Perhaps a more interesting question would be: is it the teachers' union's role to have an impact on schools (or is their role solely to represent teachers via collective bargaining)?
Rhetoric is one thing. Evidence is another. If teachers unions are so bad, then why, across the nation, is the quality of education outcomes positively correlated with the level of unionization in in the state? If teachers unions are the problem, why doesn't Mississippi have the best public schools in the nation and Massachusetts the worst?
NO - Years of increased education funding has INCREASED class sizes, done NOTHING to improve the achievment gap, and INCREASED teacher salaries. When education funding is increased - it all goes to increase salary and benefits. When no increased funding - they still have "steps and lanes" to get increases. Public employee unions are out of control and elected officials are afraid to make the real changes needed because of them.
Yes - Education Minnesota plays a huge part in improving Minnesota Schools. They do a lot for Education - people are apparently listening to one side of the story and making a decision based upon that.
YES. In the spirit of Full Disclosure; I am a high school teacher. As with any career field, we need to be an active member to truly understand how that entity functions.
The problem in education today is the mandates that are given to us by people who have never stepped foot into a classroom. Unions want teachers and students to be held to a high level of performance just as the general public does. People don’t always realize how much the Teacher Union also protects students. Teacher Unions are playing a large role in fixing No Child Left Behind, which in many cases is not in the best interest of our children.
Unions are not perfect. Unions are frustrated by teachers who don’t pull their weight and support highly qualified staff who work hard. That being said, there is a process for getting rid of bad teachers if administrators follow the correct protocol. That is not always done.
Very few industries have the safety nets that we as teachers have due to the union. I feel that is the cause of the general public’s dislike and skepticism of the teaching field. As a female with 15 years experience and my Master’s degree; I am guaranteed the same pay as my male counterpart rather than the 77 cents I would see in most other areas of employment.
If you really look at teacher salaries and benefits in our district (I can’t speak for all) you will see that we don’t make outrageous amounts of money with incredible benefits. With the education and years experience that I have I could make a lot more money in the general public but choose to teach because this is where I make a difference; this is where I am supposed to be.
All teachers know when working with students there is no such thing as a stupid question . . . but this one challenges that maxim.
Beyond helping to create and maintain a professional work atmosphere with professional pay and benefits, Education Minnesota consistently works to enhance and share the good works of public educators throughout the state. Beyond negotiations or contractual issues, EM serves as the state's greatest conduit for teachers K-12 and post-secondary to gather, inform, collaborate and assist one another in perpetually improving their passionate work - - teaching.
Instead of always jumping from the "bully pulpit" of the Governor's office and the public's "knee-jerk" reaction to such one-sided information, why not examine the real problems of MN public education, such as in HOW our schools are funded rather than where the monies go? Question the administration of funds and administration of the state's education priorities rather than make blanket statements against the teacher's union or educators themselves?
Teachers at all levels in MN NEED a strong union to maintain their "peace of mind" on the job so they can focus on their students' needs and NOT have to always worry about the irrational perspectives of a FEW parents or a FEW politicians, like T. Paw, or Governor Palin-ty.
Oh - and for anyone who thinks the current presidential administration is a "cheerleader" or supporter of the NEA or the AFT, think again; Obama's Ed. Sec. - Arne Duncan - is an ardent supporter of reform of America's public education system and its educators pay system as well. He's no "rubber stamp" for the traditional American education system. Reform is already afoot in America and in Minnesota, thanks to our unions and our educators, alike. Consistent reform to make our public education system better and more up-to-date daily - Ed MN helps our cause far more than the current governor ever dreamed. Cutting funding and blaming our union as his enemy and scapegoat doesn't do anyone in MN ANY justice.
If anyone bothered to read the comments from the federal government on the Race to the Top application, they'd see that the state lost far more points because the application lacked clarity and specificity in every single area. However, isn't the more important question why we would ever think of supporting a plan that DOESN'T have the backing of the teachers who are responsible for making it happen?
No. While unions were founded for good reasons, i.e. safe working conditions, just wages and hours, and elimination of child labor, we see increasingly that unions exist for the unions. It's irresponsible of teacher's unions to fight for pay increases when many sectors are cutting wages and jobs. The unions also won't touch tenure, but since when is anyone guaranteed a job for life?
Our school district is losing aid because our local union didn't settle their contract in time--what message does this send to the community? I'm tired of hearing about money because when I ask most teachers what they want, it's better support from parents and more respect and cooperation in the classroom. Money can't buy these....by the way, I am a teacher.
No.
But the DFL is in power, and the DFL is bought and paid for by the teachers union, so you will see no reform.
The teachers union has the union as priority #1, students and taxpayers are a distant 2nd and 3rd.
Yes, you can be critical of the teachers union and still support teachers and public education.
I thought the Union claimed previously that they didn't want to be part of it because they thought that focusing on the Race to the Top initiative would pull their focus away from other things. So are they changing their story, or what are they complaining about with the application process? Other States seemed to have no problem with it.
I personally don't know a lot about the MN Teacher's Union but Unions overall have lost their purpose and now just cause pain. As in most things Greed has taken over.
NO- Unions have wrecked the airline, auto, tire and steel industries with their endless demands for pay and benefits, far high then any free market would allow. Now the unions have cleary destroyed the nations schools as they simply are more concerned with the pay and benefits then with outcomes. It must be very difficult for those teachers who really care about kids under pressure from the big teachers unions. There is no amount of pay or reduction in actual student outcomes that would satisfy the union leaders. The bad news is obama is their cheerleader!
No, the teachers union is the biggest obstacle to improving student achievement and making schools responsive to the community's needs for the 21st century. Sadly, improving teacher quality is one of the most proven routes to improving student achievement, but the unions don't support it-at least not in any manner that could actually see less effective teachers looking for new careers.
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