Tzimmes and borscht.
Posted by: preaprez on: November 27, 2007
- Charter teachers
aren’tare into unions.
I was talking this week with a big time charter guy. “Teachers in charters just aren’t interested in joining a union,” he assured me.
Don’t tell that to the teachers at Merrick Academy in Queens, NY. NY Teacher reports:
Teachers at the Merrick Academy — Queens Public Charter School have overwhelmingly demanded representation by the UFT and the union is moving swiftly to make that a reality.
- I need a Rotherham translation.
OK. Someone tell me what the hell this means. In Rotherham’s most recent post in Eduwonk, he says:
Sure seems like in the ‘08 presidential campaign “performance pay” is becoming the new “school vouchers.” Used to be that vouchers were the big issue that pundits would use to size up Democratic candidates on education and benchmark their reform creds. Didn’t make a lot of sense but it was the way it worked. Now, in several debates the questions have been about performance-based pay for teachers and aside from the No Child Left Behind rhetoric it’s the most discussed education issue in the race.
Too bad, because like school choice, regardless of where one comes down on it, performance-based pay is just one piece of the school improvement puzzle.
Does that mean it doesn’t matter what you think about performance-based pay? Why doesn’t it? Explain this to me. I mean, lots of things are “just one piece of the school improvement puzzle,” but they still matter.
- Joe Williams at
BillionairesDemocrats for Education Reform goes bonkers over candlelight vigil.
The UFT in NY is organizing a candlelight vigil to protest “gotcha” tactics used by NY school boss Klein against teachers by administration. Williams is offended that a teachers’ union would fight for teachers’ rights to due process and fairness. I’m not shocked at Williams’ shockedness.
3 Responses to "Tzimmes and borscht."
1 | nyceducator
Teachers in charters “aren’t interested” in joining a union? More likely they’re terrified of mentioning a union. In fact, one of the cases that helped form my current opinion of charters was that of Nicole Byrne Lau, who was vilified in the press for nothing more than showing UFT pay scales to her fellow teachers. If Mr. Williams and his DFER comrades (like Whitney Tilson) need further evidence that teachers need protection from unreasonable dismissal they need look no further than this case.
And despite the success of the Merrick Academy, when you’re working in an atmosphere of “at will” employment, like you are in most charter schools, where you can be fired for any reason or no reason, union organization is an uphill battle. That’s the case for many or most American working people nowadays. Rather than attacking working conditions of teachers, they ought to be demanding the same or better for themselves.
And I must add that the vigil alone does not represent much of a fight for due process and fairness. The UFT has set a pattern of giving away everything but the kitchen sink and hoping for the best, and ought not to feign shock when anti-labor forces start demanding the sink as well. We’ll see if the UFT follows up.
I suggest you sit while you wait.
2 | preaprez
I think that you describe one factor accurately. I also know of young, dedicated charter school teachers who don’t see the need for a union. I believe that they will learn otherwise or burn out. But some charters count on this thinking to recruit young teachers. Some would argue that we should not bother trying to organize charters. Some argue that, well, they’re there so we should try to organize them. I don’t think either of those are very effective.
My comments about due process and fairness were directed at DFER and Williams who oppose both regardless of the strengths or deficits of the UFT leadership.
3 | nyceducator
I wouldn’t be so critical of charters if they were really union shops. But the overwhelming majority here are vehemently opposed to giving workers rights. The “McTeacher” phenomenon is beneficial to charters that brag about their salary scales but never actually have to pay very much. I’ve been told that there is one (1) 100K KIPP teacher who they trot out now and then just to show he exists. In the very expensive NYC area, there are thousands and thousands. They don’t have to work Saturdays, they aren’t on call after school, and they can’t be fired for talking about what other teachers get paid.
Our children will grow up into the world we leave them. It doesn’t occur to a whole lot of people that worsening working conditions is an unsuitable legacy.
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