tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post5262575351409963204..comments2024-01-06T06:09:29.140-05:00Comments on An Urban Teacher's Education: The Good Teachers Unions Can Dojames boutinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-86707094500612139202012-12-20T14:08:33.374-05:002012-12-20T14:08:33.374-05:00Thanks, Concerned Parent!Thanks, Concerned Parent!james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-56704342361494562242012-12-20T13:57:06.708-05:002012-12-20T13:57:06.708-05:00James,
This was an exceptionally good piece. You ...James,<br /><br />This was an exceptionally good piece. You state the argument so well that even the most dogmatic, knee-jerk, "I Already Have My Mind Made Up About Teachers Unions" types would have to rethink some of their assumptions after reading this. <br /><br />No one in my family belongs to a union. And no one in my extended family has ever been a teacher. You're hearing this from a parent and the owner of a small business, married to a health care analyst. <br /><br />It's very good to read something so compelling and cogent. <br /><br />I don't know when it became "sport" to castigate teachers, especially those in a union. But, as the father of a young child, early in his school days, I don't understand why anyone would want to make our teachers less economically secure, less certain about their long-term relationship with their school, and less able to focus fully on teaching effectively. <br /><br />Teaching is a craft. Well-trained teachers, who start with a thorough educational grounding, and at least a year or two of student teaching, have the foundation to get better at this profession over time.<br /><br />It's amazing how well the overwhelming majority of teachers perform, despite multiple pressures and distractions ranging from High Stakes Tests, dubious, new "Teacher Evaluations" to egregious scapegoating in the media and from certain corrupt politicians. <br /><br />I'm at a loss to understand how an underpaid, disrespected, and unsupported teacher is then supposed to make ALL of our kids qualify for Stanford by the time they're 17. And if they don't, the student, his family, his neighborhood, and the media-obssessed, anti-intellectual culture we live in are all held completely blameless. Every student who succeeds must have "accepted personal responsibility". Every student who doesn't is just a helpless victim, completely at the mercy of an apathetic, indolent, incompetent who couldn't care less about her students.<br /><br />Hopefully, as parents begin waking up and understanding all of this, we'll begin to plant the seeds of change.<br /><br />Again, thanks so much, for such a moving and clear piece. Kudos to you.Concerned Parenthttp://huffingtonpost.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-39374324259677912512012-10-09T23:27:09.391-04:002012-10-09T23:27:09.391-04:00Thanks, Attorney DC. Good to hear from you. It'...Thanks, Attorney DC. Good to hear from you. It's been a while.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-42894982984249239862012-10-08T17:17:18.520-04:002012-10-08T17:17:18.520-04:00Good article, James. I agree with you that teacher...Good article, James. I agree with you that teachers' unions have many positive aspects (including promoting teachers' rights and workplace safety), which people often overlook. Thanks for pointing out all the nuances of the situation in this article --Attorney DCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-86841016053811702642012-09-16T15:32:06.458-04:002012-09-16T15:32:06.458-04:00Yes! Thank you! Important perspective here. Perhap...Yes! Thank you! Important perspective here. Perhaps I should publish it as my next post?james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-31869826372796454122012-09-16T15:31:35.908-04:002012-09-16T15:31:35.908-04:00Thanks very much.Thanks very much.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-36302006595802383042012-09-16T15:31:25.322-04:002012-09-16T15:31:25.322-04:00Thanks for your kind words.Thanks for your kind words.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-45973829760124634122012-09-16T15:26:08.057-04:002012-09-16T15:26:08.057-04:00I had no interest in my union during my 15 years o...I had no interest in my union during my 15 years of teaching. I never read the contract and never attended a meeting. Maybe I was fortunate that I never had to, since I worked with administrators who were at worst indifferent to what I was doing, and what I was doing was done well. It was also a matter of temperament; I'm allergic to large groups of people nodding their heads in unison, chanting, etc., whether we're talking unions or reformers.<br /><br />I've only come to realize the benefit of unions now that I'm a principal. I believe power corrupts, not always in the front-page-headline variety, but often in subtle ways. It wasn't until I left the classroom that I realized the extent to which my power over students--the only people in the building who are compelled by law to be there--was mostly unmonitored and sometimes used more in the service of my ego than in ways that were truly "student-centered." <br /><br />Now as a principal with positional authority, I appreciate having checks on my power and my judgment. Regardless of my middle-manager status, I do have the power to make decisions that impact people's careers. I don't take that lightly, which is why I appreciate due process so I don't have to carry the burden alone. Having a union and a bargained contract helps me think twice about my decisions, question my motives, and consider the larger context. Funny enough, I often find myself explaining the contract to our teachers now, because most don't read the contract (they're busy teaching, of course). As I do, I remind them that they pay dues and should expect something for the money they spend.<br /><br />With that said, unions are players in the power game just like any other faction in our profession. Unions have their own interests they want to protect, not all noble, and "solidarity" is sometimes code for consolidating power. I have firsthand experience of union leaders talking about teachers as condescendingly as some administrators do. Unfortunately, this is how the game is played and, as our kids, say, "Don't hate the player; hate the game." I don't hate unions, just as I don't hate the institutional bureaucracy. I signed up for this and learned to play the game well to get our teachers and kids what they need.<br /><br />It appears I just wrote a blog post to your blog post. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-85792559584244517432012-09-16T13:37:07.610-04:002012-09-16T13:37:07.610-04:00I am a retired NYC Spec Ed Teacher, shared this on...I am a retired NYC Spec Ed Teacher, shared this on my FB page thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-42202075517386857842012-09-15T13:43:57.846-04:002012-09-15T13:43:57.846-04:00This is a GREAT piece. I think, some how, we need...This is a GREAT piece. I think, some how, we need to get it into the hands of every teacher!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com