Of what significance is the opinion of the teachers union in the endorsement of school board members?
"We not only influence our members, but their families, retirees and community members that value our option," said Ann DeLacy, president of HCEA. "We are respected. We are held in high esteem. Hopefully, they know that we go through a very thorough process and we examine all the factors that contribute to student learning."
And what are those factors that influence student learning?
"Our primary consideration in recommending these candidates to our members is the strong positions and support they have exhibited on behalf of public education and our public school employees," DeLacy said.
Hmmm. If you read that carefully, that has nothing to do with student learning. That means that these folks are protecting jobs of public teachers. Why settle for Safeway schools when you could have Wegmans schools?
4 comments:
Candidates will have to win over the union, so they can win the position, and it is only by winning the position that they can change the union influence.
The good politican knows they have to get their hands dirty if they are going to clean the system.
This is what seperates the few good politicians who are driven to do what is right for all the citizens, from those that are driven by greed to perpetuate politics driven by special interest.
But the true measure of their success is not what the good politican does, it is what the majority of citizens preceive, want and support.
Usually the citizen does not bother to pay attention, and just accept all politicans as ineffective.
So more and more dollars go to unions, administrative staff, and teachers making extremely large salaies ( I meet one in Montogery Co. who cliamed to be making more than $90,000, after receiving multiple degrees paid for by the system, and he spends less than 9 months a year teaching.)I have nothing against large salaries or education, but how much of this translates to the students education.
We have what we want, even though we say we want something different.
AND the entire public education industry takes a holiday on election day - what better way to get one set of people to the voting booth.
Anon- that is an interesting point. Unfortunately, as long as public schools are used as polling places it will always be more convenient for public school employees to vote since they get Election Day off for logistical reasons. If we ever get to a point where voting can be done in a secure way over the internet (and that day will come), it will be interesting to see if the teachers union loses political power.
I take it as a strong rule of thumb: Any given action can strengthen the public school monopoly, or it can help the students, but it is highly unlikely to benefit both.
Zinzindor
LeviathanMontgomery.wordpress.com
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