2012 senior class photos
2012 West Carrollton graduation
Home of the Week
Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > March > 11 > Entry
Here’s $10,000 to go away
(Huber Heights teachers and school officials meet with mediators in 2006.)
Get this. An anti-union group called the Center for Union Facts wants to highlight what it sees as extraordinary efforts that teacher unions put forward to protect bad teachers. So the center has committed $1 million to a national campaign to showcase its complaints about teacher unions.
The group is taking nominations from across the nation to compile a list of the 10 worst teachers in the country and it will then offer each of them $10,000 to leave the profession.
This is obviously a politically-motivated publicity stunt. But it does highlight a real problem.
Too many bad teachers spend long careers in education. Is it because of unions? They certainly play a role. It is a union’s job to protect its members and enforce contract rules. When districts seek to discipline a teacher, the union has a responsibilty to see that the rules and procedures are followed. In fact, a teacher could actually sue a union that refused to defend him or her if there was grounds to contest the discipline.
But are unions the whole problem? Unions are quick to point out that discipline fails to stick when managers don’t do their jobs. Many times unions win because managment does follow the even most basic procedures to demonstrate the need for discipline, such as providing evidence of the teacher’s failings or engaging in progressive discipline that bring greater penalties when the teacher fails to improve performance.
In Ohio, teachers are also protected by laws that make it very difficult to fire them.
What’s your reaction to the center’s campaign?
(Image credit: Bill Garlow, DDN)
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Schools and Politics
Comments
By Oldprof
March 16, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this
The Center for Union “Facts” website is reporting that, so far, this million-dollar campaign has yielded nominations for about 300 teachers. Since each individual is permitted to nominate 3 teachers, I’d say that the general public is not highly motivated here. They’ve detailed a few of the nominations, and at least one of the cases is a sad account of a man who clearly needs medical intervention. I’m not expecting the “Facts” people to realize it, but their own scanty response rate and the details of the accounts are doing as much to discount their claims as any counter-rhetoric from the NEA.By ohdave.net
March 14, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
I’ve written about this a lot at my site. Bad administrators do a lot more to protect teachers than unions do. Bad administrators protect bad teachers by not demanding enough of them and not following the legal procedures that exist to dismiss or non renew bad teachers. Or, they grant tenure to teachers who don’t deserve it. How effective are most administrators at evaluating teachers? Or are they too busy with building discipline and management to provide effective instructional leadership? Unions are an easy scapegoat, but as Scott points out, their role is to ensure due process for teachers. Then don’t “protect” bad teachers.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 14, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Laura writes, “I can�t imagine any way that a parent organization could do much to influence the removal of a teacher.” Right; my thought was influencing adoption of peer review or more responsive contract provisions—something to ensure due process. A lynch mob of parents would be an ugly sight indeed. “Plight of the PTA” is more what I was thinking of: “There is a big role for PTA’s to play in rallying parents to the cause of school improvement. But critics say that unless the National PTA relinquishes its defense of the educational status quo, and unless local chapters define parent involvement far more ambitiously, the century-old cultural icon is likely to continue its decline … most schools and their PTA’s simply do not work hard enough or smart enough to make parents part of the educational process and that given the right opportunity and encouragement struggling urban parents no less than their affluent suburban counterparts readily contribute to their children’s educations.”By Mary
March 13, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
School supporter (classic), another good book to read that also discusses the PTA is “Cheating our kids -how politics and greed ruin education.” It came out about one or two years ago. The author also points out parents have been too nice and trusting, and as a group, also kneecapped by school organizations promoting status quo. The professional education groups - and not just teachers’ unions- make it their point to control everything about schools. What I find interesting is that the statewide association of superintendents and administrators even step in to “train” (or properly intimidate and indoctrinate) the candidates running for school boards. Some of the training might be useful and filling a void, but it also strikes me as being a little bit of brainwashing and conflict of public interest.By Laura
March 12, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
I can’t imagine any way that a parent organization could do much to influence the removal of a teacher. I know when I was on a parent committee at my son’s school, no talk about a teacher was allowed. The principal said it constituted discussing personnel which he said would not be legal. I do know that the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is true in many schools. There are ways to get rid of teachers, incompetent or not, if you know who and how.By joe mamma
March 12, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
Holy cow I agree with Old Prof again. Well mostly. The problem is at all levels. Poor performing administration is not removed, administration often ignores the poor performance of teachers, and the unions often are stuck supporting poor performing teachers. What a vicious circle and the perfect recipe for bureaucrat mediocrity. Teachers do get some of the blame just because their union is part of the mess and they run their local union.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 12, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this
Barb writes, “When I was a parent in the district I always felt we needed a parent union since so few people seem to be there to represent the students who come to school to learn.” Would this be the role of the PTA? In “War Against Hope,” Rod Paige claims that Ohio PTA was knee-capped by the OEA for being too assertive. What are the most important things to change to promote student achievement? What resources are available?By Mary
March 12, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
But of course, the same administrators and principals will drop everything to fire a losing coach and advertise the job opening throughout the region for a replacement.By Oldprof
March 11, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this
I think the Loretta Cephus situation shows the real problem; administration had the PERFECT cause for termination—she lacked the required certifications—but administration failed to adhere to the law, and so Ms. Cephus got to continue in the classroom for several more years. I could tell you more tales of teachers who richly deserved dismissal, but did not get it due to administrative reticence—and yet other tales of good teachers who were released during their probationary periods, or during RIF following failed tax levies, when it wasn’t at all deserved. Note that employees of many businesses get “permanent” status after only six months or a year on the job, and at that point it’s as hard to fire them as it is a tenured teacher—yet teachers must go through a probationary period of three to six YEARS before getting permanent status. The problem isn’t the teachers, it’s the system, and it’s administrators who managed to demotivate those eager young teachers who are willing to work for a sub-professional salary because they’re inspired—at least at the outset—by the prospect of helping a youngster. So Scott, when will you delve into the matter of do-nothing human resources offices and let-it-slide principals?By Barb
March 11, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this
I work with one of the most incompetent teachers most teachers have ever met. The union has made it clear they know the teacher does not do anything that resembles teaching. They claim they are just protecting the process when they come in and defend her at every hearing. The OEA rep constantly blames the principal but will not tell the principal what it takes. This year 6 students have had to be transferred to my classroom. I have been overcrowded for the year because of this person. 2 other teachers and myself have had to assume so much additional responsibility. The OEA reps answer is just don’t do it. Most teachers are there to help students so it is hard for us to “just not to do it.” This teacher can retire but does not want to because her family thinks she is being treated unfairly. The union knows what is going on, the administrator in the building is trying to do what she can and the upper administration is just getting involved although they have known about the situation for the year. Now how do we sign this lady up for the ten thousand dollars and isn’t it funny she will get money to quit teaching but I have had no protection by my union whatsoever. When I was a parent in the district I always felt we needed a parent union since so few people seem to be there to represent the students who come to school to learn. The troublesome students and teachers are who are the most represented.By Laura
March 11, 2008 7:32 PM | Link to this
In the past few years, I have seen two teachers lose their jobs. It is possible to remove incompetent teachers IF the administrator does their job. It is also possible to remove teachers who aren’t imcompetent but just unliked, if the teacher is naive enough to let it happen. What I am seeing is teachers who have been in the district for many years (close to retirement), have not been incompetent, but not stellar, either, and someone decides to try and get rid of them. What are they supposed to do then? Walk away from their entire life and retirement? There is a lot of deadwood in upper administration that everyone jokes about but no one talks seriously about removing them. They just give them a “promotion”.By null
March 11, 2008 7:20 PM | Link to this
Oh Oh Oh - where can I get a nomination form??? I have a PERFECT candidate in mind!By chiefwino
March 11, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
Maybe it’s the new math; but what is the Center for Union Facts going to do with the other $900,000? ($1M-(10 teachers x $10K))=$900K