The Milwaukee Teachers Unionis fighting on the side of its teachers – for coverage of the prescription drug - Viagra. Apparently, Erectile Dysfunction is causing some Milwaukee Teachers some sort of hardship – in these hard economic times, is what is seen as a recreational drug, more important to the Milwaukee Public School Teachers and their Union than say – a job? The unions have bargained our auto industry into penury (and now owns part of one, along with the Federal Government), and our schools do not necessarily “excel” and are staffed, in many locals, with less than stellar teachers.
Frankly, there are certain industries where unions might be useful, say meatpacking or any other area where life and limb is at risk – however, when an individual must have a bachelor and or in some cases a masters degree in order to perform a 6 to 8 month annual job, on the government payroll to boot - what function can the union possibly have? - Obviously none, thus the suit for Viagra.
It is, by no means, the intent to demean the teacher – teachers, or those wishing to teach, are forced to join unions across the nation. They are given the option of joining one or both of the teachers unions and or paying a hefty “fee” not to join, and ongoing harassment by union “thugs” who “protect” the rights of teachers. They are often told that it is mandatory that they fork a good chuck of change not to one union but two – when they should be given the option of opting out from the get go. The dues collected from your local science or English or “social studies” teachers then go to the union for bloated management salaries, attorneys on retainer and of course, the Democrat Party.
In a recent battle with New Jersey Govenor, Chris Christie (R), the union which was praying for him to outright “die”, and ran an estimated $20 Million dollars in ads against the Governor’s plan to cut fat from the budget in order to save New Jersey -they lost. Therefore, in order to stop budget cuts that may have affected some teachers in New Jersey, the union spends 20 million dollars of money collected by teachers for dues (practically against their will), and who gets vilified?
Ask Gallop: Public education is tracking in the 30 percentile in trust according to a recent poll on confidence in institutions. Instead of a teacher seen as battling for better text books, more authority to discipline students disrupting classes, and or bigger and better blackboards, anything, the Milwaukee Teachers Union is asking for coverage for a drug that is used by older and younger individuals recreationally. One cannot make this stuff up – sadly.
Teachers, new and old, should be given the option, once a year, of either join gin the union and/or actually working for their students and the municipality which hires them. Outside of the “protection” of the union, they would realize an immediate increase in pay, and also be allowed compensation based on merit. In this wise, one would be able to sort out the chaff from the wheat – and who would protect the teacher against frivolous law suits brought by nutty parents? The City or town, which could offer, at that point, the option for those parents to take their children and whatever problems are interfering with their classroom elsewhere – perhaps a parochial school, or other private education. Of course, that puts those parents who feel their children are above the rules (regardless of what the rules are) in the position of having to choose between a rock and a hard place – one does not want to mess with a Catholic school (or other private institution which does not fear a lawsuit) – they’d be forced to discipline or at the very least say “no” to junior.
That would allow the teachers, who are wrongfully, by the way, taking the heat, and are portrayed as the protagonists in most newspaper accounts of battles between cities and staff. In fact, the title of the article this opinion piece is based on is: Milwakee Teachers Fight for Viagra Drug Coverage, one has to get into the article to find, that it is not the teachers, rather the union that is to blame.
Teachers face a daily grind in some parts of the nation, hindered by what they can and cannot say to students (discipline), forced to teach under threat of bodily harm by students who understand they can get away with anything or their parents will bring suit, the classrooms (due to some notion that all students must be treated the same and given the same opportunities regardless of the circumstance – i.e. inclusion) are filled with mini-felons, or those who are medicated to control everything from violent behavior to “name a condition”, making teaching the balance of the student population suffer along with the teacher. Teachers deserve “combat pay” more than anything else, and it is a direct result of the irresponsible unions and school administrators who treat those who educate our students as nothing more than political cash cows.
Therefore, when reading the next newspaper article where the “teachers” are asking for something ludicrous, make sure one reads further to find out the true culprit – and then write a note of thanks and support to the educator who was intentionally forced to join a union, and must suffer the daily caprices of a population that includes weak administrators, crazy parents, and students who have learned from both that they can get away with anything.
Bring education back to the 1950’s where money was better spent on institutions known as “reform schools”, the threat of which, kept the majority of students in line, studying to excel, students with “special needs” went to separate classrooms, allowing them to receive the type of education best suited, while allowing the general population to learn. Teachers also had the ability to discipline; a trip to the Principals office was something to fear, along with parents who would be called in (depending upon the “crime” to met out punishment. Teachers were respected, as it should be, and the nation’s schools were the envy of the world.
In the present state of the economy where Democrats passed a bill, after pressure and lobbying from the Teacher’s union for 26 Billion to save teachers jobs, it must be realized that with unemployment standing steady at 9.5% and the threat of further economic gloom, that one wonders what percentage of the salary paid to teachers (funded by the taxpayer) that went to the unions, that spent the millions to lobby the Senate (or the town, or the city) would be better spent on maintaining the teachers’ salaries in the first place? If the teachers were allowed to compete for benefits and salaries like the private sector, one might just see an increase in the graduation rate , a decrease in the costs of educating a student (the myriad web of administrators who have high salaries are also included under the unions), would actually decrease.
The average cost of educating a high school student in Vermont is $13,000 per year (2010) (Vermont has one of the highest gradudation rates) and in Massachusetts (which has improved if one does not count those who drop out and get a GED) had a graduation rate in 2008 of 82% - which is an average: some municipalities had a 60% graduation rate. The average cost to educate a studen in Massachustts is approximately $12,000 annually. (varies by municpality)
By way of contrast to the public sector, the cost to educate a student in a private 4 year school (Massachusetts – parochial) is approximately $8000 (includes tuition and books), with a graduation rate of 100, with 100% going onto a two or four year college.
Why the disparity? Perhaps the teachers who are non-union are able to teach – granted their salaries are lower, compared to public school teachers, but they have, at the very least, the option to compete for higher salaries.
Additionally, would the public schools be divested of the “union label” it would have the net effect of dropping the costs of education in the public sector, making the public schools competitive with private institutions, and the benefits to educators would be across the board, as schools and teachers were compensated based on performnace.
The solutions are obvious, “school choice” based on “vouchers”, and the elimination of the millstone (Union) hanging over competent, degreed, individuals would improve the public schools and allow them to compete with private institutions – bringing standards up across the board.
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