School Reform - Unions

Let's get right to the point. Many people contend that teacher unions stop any chance for school reform. Along these lines, it is said that unions prevent bad teachers (yes, there are some) from being fired. Still others remark that unions prevent any advancement or change (for example, keeping tenure) in the field of education.

Unions, at their core, are necessary. For one, they collective bargain. And while collective bargaining does involve working out details regarding salaries and benefits, it also critically addresses some of the important needs of teachers; in-service training, ways of addressing the changing and diverse classroom, class size, curriculum and so much more. I have served on negotiation teams and can tell you that these non-financial factors are critical relative to teacher and student performance.

Does anyone think that eliminating unions is wise and that the hundreds of thousands of teachers can bargain on their own or that schools want to individually bargain with each teacher? That is simply crazy.

As a 34 year teacher, with an additional six years of substituting, I can tell you that I have not seen unions try to stop progress or to simply hold onto power (so to speak) for the sake of having power. Let me sight the example of releasing ineffective teachers.

Many states say that tenure kicks in after a teacher has four years of experience. I have witnessed a good number of schools releasing poor teachers prior to tenure kicking in and unions have not attempted to stop such action. After a teacher has tenure, I am aware that remediation plans exist to improve teacher performance. While this may, or may not, solve the problem, to this day I have yet to see a union stopping the school administration from curtailing the employment of a poor tenured teacher.

Unions also put out a good deal of information on effective teaching practices. Nothing negative about this communication tool. It positively serves the interests of both teachers and students.

And yes unions do get involved in the political process. I have long been involved in local school board elections. Do you want to know why? I want positive people, who aren't one issue board members serving our school. I want to try to help get thoughtful, reasonable and supportive people on the school board. I want to keep reactionaries off the school board. I want to see people who really care about children serving on the board. That's exactly what unions ought to do, to help get supportive people to serve education.

Unions typically do much to aid the progress of educating children. Don't let someone, who is not experienced in working with teacher unions, tell you differently.

Thanks,
Dick