I would say that the Unions have issues - but no - they aren't the problem with education today.
The problem with education today is the parents not taking the responsibility for cracking down and ensuring that their kids do the homework, attend school, etc...
We could do away with Unions - increase teacher pay to $100k a year and hire only the "best and brightest" and if a parent doesn't make sure that their kid attends school and doesn't make sure that their kid does the homework - I don't believe that the outcome will change.
I went to college in an area where there is a large number of students who came here from Asian countries, had to learn English, and still had straight A's in high school - and they nailed college - they didn't do that because of the teachers they did it because their parents kicked their collective "behinds" to succeed.
Unions were started to correct the imbalance of power that existed between corporations and the workforce. The emergence of unions forced corporations to negotiate with their workers: salary, workplace conditions and benefits that rewarded worker loyalty. One of the highests costs to corporations is training new employees. By negotiating with employees through unions for fair compensation packages employers guaranteed loyalty from their workforce thus cutting the costs of frequent training of new employees. If we look at corporations today and scrutinize their response to the current economic condition, with few exceptions they have taken this opportunity to shed employees, demand higher productivity from their existant workforce, offer the same or fewer benefits and create a climate that says be thankful you have a job! Look at corporations that have not downsized and determine what they have done. The unions are not the problem they are often the solution. Today again negotiations between corporations and their employees unions have often kept these corporations viable and their trained, loyal workforces intact.
I think there are many problems with education. The unions are not the only one; but I question why we even need them in this field. I spent my career in a professional field (not education) and I always felt that my compensation and any other benefits of my occupation were a result of my efforts. I did well, but then I always did my best. Others did better, and they past me by. Others did less, and they didn't make it. Aren't teachers professional people with a sense of personal achievement and responsibility? I am all for paying teachers like other professional people and then expecting a professional performance from them. Get rid of those who don't measure up and get rid of the useless unions.
The problem is that there really isn't any realistic way to pay teachers what similar jobs might pay in the Private Sector - after all - education budgets are already strapped - and Conservatives are yelling about having to cut - cut - cut - so there would be no way to pay teachers more at all.
If teachers were continued to be paid low salaries - while you remove union protection for the job - then honestly - why would anyone want to be a teacher at all - particularly in any school other than a school where parents are fully engaged and teaching is actually passing along knowledge and not dealing with societal issues also.
I fail to see how unions can address any of those problems. If the money is not there, how will unions make it appear? If the job is so crappy, who wants it to be protected? If parent's are not engaged, how will the unions change that? I don't believe conservatives are any less supportive of education than liberals; they may be a bit smarter in demanding results for the money spent.
It's the boob tube and like entertainment. I haven't gone a single day in 20 years without at least hearing some reference to something about the entertainment world./ Boob tube mentality. It's a fixation.
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Comments: 14
The problem with education today is the parents not taking the responsibility for cracking down and ensuring that their kids do the homework, attend school, etc...
We could do away with Unions - increase teacher pay to $100k a year and hire only the "best and brightest" and if a parent doesn't make sure that their kid attends school and doesn't make sure that their kid does the homework - I don't believe that the outcome will change.
I went to college in an area where there is a large number of students who came here from Asian countries, had to learn English, and still had straight A's in high school - and they nailed college - they didn't do that because of the teachers they did it because their parents kicked their collective "behinds" to succeed.
If teachers were continued to be paid low salaries - while you remove union protection for the job - then honestly - why would anyone want to be a teacher at all - particularly in any school other than a school where parents are fully engaged and teaching is actually passing along knowledge and not dealing with societal issues also.