Teacher: I won’t ‘teach and shut up’

[proud2BlibKansan]

I remember the moment I stopped resenting the deduction in my paychecks that went to my union. It took me three years, and happened suddenly.

Halfway through my third year of teaching music, in 2007, administrators in my St. Louis district decided to cut student time in the arts by 64 percent at the middle-school level as part of a plan to improve student test-scores. Appalled, I sent an email to my fellow arts teachers across the district asking what we were going to do.

The response from my colleagues? There is nothing you can do; this has been happening for the past 20 years. Nonetheless, unwilling to let the arts programs go quietly, I circulated petitions among staff, acquiring signatures from several hundred teachers—arts and non-arts teachers alike. It didn’t do anything.

Out of ideas, and with no sense of what it might accomplish, I called my union. The response was immediate: The union would help mobilize teachers and parents opposed to the planned cuts.

more . . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/teacher-i-wont-teach-and-shut-up/2012/01/28/gIQAnaXyZQ_blog.html

[Riley18]

1. K&R

Unions in Florida are fighting the corrupt takeover of public workers' rights and pension money. If it were not for the consolidated unity among most of the largest unions in the country, public workers in this state would not have any voice at all. As it is, the governor and his friends are trying to take even more of our pension funds. They are doing so even though the unions are litigating the first 3% of our paychecks that they are taking from us.

[1monster]

5. I'm in the school district that just made the number one spot in the state for the fifth year in a

row. You know what that affords our school board, our superintendents, our administrators, our teachers? NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. ZERO. (ETC.)

When John Thrasher introduced his dreadful education bill two years ago, the local newspaper asked him why he hadn't consulted with anyone in the school district before writing and introducing the bill, Thrasher answered, "I didn't know I <as a legislator> HAD to."

If we could, with the wave of a magic wand, wipe out all of the learning disabilities, motivational and other problems students face and present the state legislature perfect students, the legislature would still ignore the facts and continue on with their "reform" -- It's not about education or what is best for our children and our country. It is about what they want, power, and money.

For those who think the "reformers" have our best interests at heart, I have some really good land to sell you about 100 feet south of the mid point of the 312 Bridge for quite a reasonable price considering how real estate prices have dropped around here....

[YvonneCa]

2. WOW. That is one of the best articles I have...

...read, even on WAPO that covers this issue well. Thanks for posting this.


P.S. I hope you will post this in GD, as education of our children is an issue that affect more than just teachers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. done

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002238567

[Thav]

4. Thanks for this.

I have the ear of my state representative, who is ranking member of our state education committee (and a former educator). I pass these on to her quite often.