You know when you're young and you're asked what you want to be when you grow up? I remember those conversations pretty well. I love animals, and so for a while I would say I was going to be a vet. Then I realized how long veterinarians have to go to school:) And I realized that I don't love Science quite that much, or blood for that matter. It was sometime in middle or high school that I realized how much I enjoyed children. I started thinking about an associate's degree versus a bachelor's degree and what I really wanted to do. I still credit a friend's mom for the decision to get my bachelor's. She was, and still is, a teacher and her argument was to be more prepared, you never know what's going to happen. Then there was the internship in Texas at Teen Mania and understanding my calling as a teacher. It's part of who I am. It's not something I can get away from. So I teach.
I've only been a college graduate for about 5 years. Finding a teaching job is hard, which is understandable. It's like most jobs, knowing someone is the best way to get in, and I didn't know a lot of people. Volunteering in high school wasn't my high point unfortunately. I taught one whole quarter in IN at Topeka Elementary School. This was my first encounter with unions as well. We had discussed them in college and I wasn't a huge fan of them already. They honestly just didn't sound like something I wanted to be involved in. I don't really like big groups, and I don't want my money to go towards policies and political candidates I don't agree with. The woman who approached me while at Topeka told me how great the union was in helping her win a court case. That was first positive story I'd heard, but I was saving for a big move and didn't think I'd need the union before then, so I didn't join.
In FL, I got hired into a public charter school. Overall, it was amazing. The first year was the hardest, but I learned a lot, and I was supported by those around me. I did my best and gave my all. There was no union to be a part of. We had a school board that watched out for us, as teachers, and helped make sure things were running smoothly. Our salaries were lower than that of the district we were in, but I remember it only being about $1K less. With our school board though, we were given bonuses throughout the year, or gifts for things I wouldn't have gotten in a public school. I didn't think a lot about public education or being in a union because I didn't feel affected by it all. Our school was A-rated and rising and we were doing pretty great.
Now I'm in CA. LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) is the 2nd biggest district in the nation. I feel small, to say the least. Budget cuts are everywhere. None of the public districts are hiring because they're all on a freeze, except for a few select positions like Math and Science or Special Education. I've found a teaching job through a 3rd party company and truly enjoy what I do, though I miss being in a regular education classroom.
Being where I'm at, I've seen first-hand the affects of these budget cuts. 30+ students in a classroom. Teachers at their wits ends, frustrated by lack of support and funds, and yet piled high with more paperwork (I understand the paperwork to a certain extent - my principal loved data and we all learned many was to collect and analyze it. But now I enjoy it because I see the benefits of knowing where your student is, through data, and helping them set and achieve goals, through the same data.) What is frustrating for me is watching a generation of students be left behind. I have fourth grade students who can barely read, who don't know things I know I taught in FL to mine, and who have little to no self-confidence. I watch students sit through 30 minutes of work time doing nothing because there is not a teacher standing behind them. I am more concerned now than ever before about the future. I wonder at the ability of these students to learn what's necessary to be successful, and to lead our country. I wonder at how I can make a change, a difference, even in the short amount of time I see them every week.
I say all of this to because I believe there has to be a change. The pendulum has to swing again in the education sector. We watched Waiting for Superman recently and I was reminded about the need for change. I believe in much of what the film says. I know that not all public schools are bad, and that not all public school teachers are bad. There are bad teachers in private schools, probably, but they don't have a union keeping them there. Waiting for Superman really just outlines all the negative ideas I've had about unions and portrays them in a thought-provoking documentary.
So I've spent the last few hours perusing these websites below to get a better understanding, a more unbiased view of unions.
1. American Federation of Teachers
2. Nation Education Association - the biggest union in the country
3. a blogger with the NEA
And then some other websites as well I found helpful.
1. Teachers Unions Exposed - a special project of Center for Union Facts
2. LAUSD's Dance of the Lemons - article by LA Weekly
So basically, I still don't like unions. They were created as a way to help make sure that people were taken care of, earned an appropriate salary for their work, and weren't abused by "the system". I see this happening sometimes. But most of the time I see unions working for people who need to be fired. I don't see the good that unions claim they're doing, I don't see the positive affects. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. Teachers are the most underpaid worker out there, at least that I know of. I'm sure you've seen the forwarded email, or facebook note, about paying teachers like a babysitter and seeing how much they would be paid if that were the case. The majority of teachers I know are passionate about their work and aren't paid enough to be as good as they are. I know it's hard being a teacher. I know it's hard preparing kids for tests. But teachers seem to be afraid of merit pay because of all the unknown variables in a child's life, or all the known negative variables we have no control over. How do you teach a child who ate candy for breakfast, gets dropped off at school at 7am when school starts at 8am, doesn't get picked up until 5:30pm, has no one at home asking about whether or not they have homework, doesn't look in their backpack, plays video games all evening, and goes to bed late? Who do you blame? As a teacher, I say it can no longer be about the blame, but simply about being the best that you can be and giving every student your all. Stop worrying about the things you cannot change and work on the things you can. I say merit pay is good because to me, it seems like best-practice - things we were taught in college to become great teachers. I would take merit pay over being a part of a union any day.
I want to make a change. I want to make a difference. I don't want this generation to grow up without hope, to grow up not believing in themselves. I believe that every child can be successful; what that looks like is going to be different for every child though. We don't have a cookie-cutter that gives us children exactly the same. Every one is different and every one deserves our best as teachers. So when it all comes down to it, what are you fighting for? Collective bargaining rights or students?
It's not over, but it's going to be quite a ride.
