CPS strike? (Chicago: public school, babysitter, moving)

[tb4000]

Let's just say what our real issue is. All these damn brats walking around during the day when they need to be in school.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by irvparkrez11

How long do you think will this strike carry on? Will Emanuel or the teachers give in?

Emanuel will give in. It's just a matter of how badly he'll damage the Obama campaign and his own legacy first.

[ChiNaan]

On a lighter note:

Chicago Teachers Go On Strike | The Onion - America's Finest News Source | American Voices

"It’s hard to feel sorry for these teachers when you see them driving around in their lavish Toyota Corollas, eating out of their fancy sack lunches."

[whakru]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Amazing. On the news tonight, the Vice president of the Teachers Union said "Us teachers want to.." Amazing.. What lousy English grammar. He should have said "We teachers want". Ironic.

OMG....I said the same thing to my husband when I heard that!!! I said how can anyone take him seriously when he speaks like that? Clearly not an English teacher!

[Drover]

Oh c'mon, like you never exhibit questionable word choices when speaking extemporaneously.

[whakru]

Originally Posted by MI_OH

The teachers aren't being selfish. They aren't asking for anything special. It's the Mayor who took away their promised contract (and diverted the money to his developer pals), and then told the teachers to work extra hours for free.

Do you work your job for free? Are you willing to work extra 30% for nothing? I sure wouldn't like it, and I wouldn't like it if my superiors promised a salary increase and then reneged, only to divert that money for corrupt insider dealmaking.

If Rahm wants the schools operating, he has two choices. Either pay the teachers for the extra work, or forget about the extra hours. If he thinks education is a priority, he'll stop diverting money on subsidized nonsense downtown.

I am really tired of hearing this particular stance because makes no sense. Anyone who works a salary job and puts in more than 40 hours a week does essentially work for free. This is not uncommon and is in fact, somewhat implied when you take on those types of positions. I often work more then 40 hours a week and I am not running around crying for extra pay. However, because I work a non-union job I have the benefit of representing myself when it comes to merit increases and I can show what I have done to deserve any increases or bonuses that MAY be available. There are no guarantees, of course.

The problem with the unions is that they are representing EVERYONE and EVERYONE gets the same result regardless on individual performance. I say get rid of the union, let teachers perform to the standards (core competencies, if you will) that are set forth by the school that employs them, and then be individually evaluated against those competencies.

I love teachers....that is a tough job and it takes a special person to do it well. I believe that they should be paid for the work that they do. I also believe that can really succeed if there are involved and committed parents behind each student that they teach.

All of this constant bickering removes the focus from what is important...providing a solid education for the kids.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Ahhh the comparison to education in a Nordic country.....where the population is very heterogeneous and there is a long-standing culture by families to support education.

Edited because I missed your other post referencing a proposal for assessing merit. Do union-based teachers commonly support a method like that? Maybe it is just filtered news but what I see most often is that teachers unions seem to oppose all merit based systems. They want seniority to control almost everything.

First, Finland is NOT as heterogeneous as you seem to think anymore. Finland, btw, went from being considered poor to being number 1 or 2 in math and science by revamping their system and going away from testing and from many things that we do.

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine

Note that over 30% of Finnish students receive special help.


The merit proposal I referenced certainly would be more likely to be supported by many teachers than other proposals which use tests to measure both teachers and schools. NCLB is such a crock of bull.

I can't speak to the unions because I retired a long time ago. I can say that the unions were necessary especially in Chicago because the political bosses were extremely willing to bully teachers and any civil employees. If you read the history of why we had to unionize, you might be surprised. Anyone with the *wrong* political view could be harassed and while they did not fire you, they made your life hell until you quit. Also for women, there was a lot of bs morals crap that never applied to men. There are still many small towns that try to regulate teacher's private lives (did you know that in some towns, you can be fired if you happen to be in a restaurant that serves liquor?)

This case is being fought as an internet privacy issue. In reality, it's an issue of trying to control teachers because parents don't want their kids to see teachers drinking even in an innocent situation.

Did the Internet Kill Privacy? - CBS News

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by nana053

Note that over 30% of Finnish students receive special help.

Dear, that does not support your argument in the manner you seem to believe it does.

If you read the history of why we had to unionize, you might be surprised.

I'm not surprised, although the end result does not seem to have benefited anyone in particular. Oh, except maybe the Baby Boomers, and look at what they left us with.

[Chicago60614]

Regardless of how or when it ends, events like this always tend to do pretty perm. damage to the district. I've heard more than a few people interviewed casually mention how they've thought about private/catholic school for awhile now, and this strike has finally pushed them over the edge and they're going through with it. It was an event that by itself might not be make or break, but it was the monkey that broke the camels back.

Those parents who are moving their kids are probably many of the parents the district really needs.

My roommate taught CPS on the west side for 5 years. She was horrified at the parents. Never ever showed up for conferences, didn't follow up with kids, never came in to meet her. She'd call the parents because of issues and more often than not they'd get pissed off at my roommate, the teacher, for bothering them with problems that they thought of as hers and hers alone. School was a free babysitter, and the babysitter needs to take care of these problems cause that's what they're paid for. One thing she heard over and over was "well what do you want ME to do about it?? You're the teacher".

Kids would be sent home for violence issues in the classroom (these were 10 year olds) and the parents would come into the school screaming at the teacher in front of everyone because it's the TEACHERS problem and they shouldn't have to deal with the kid showing up in the middle of the day at home.

[Hendu]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Regardless of how or when it ends, events like this always tend to do pretty perm. damage to the district. I've heard more than a few people interviewed casually mention how they've thought about private/catholic school for awhile now, and this strike has finally pushed them over the edge and they're going through with it. It was an event that by itself might not be make or break, but it was the monkey that broke the camels back.

Those parents who are moving their kids are probably many of the parents the district really needs.

.

Yup, I keep thinking this but haven't said it so far since a lot of my friends are teachers and are really pumped up. This is a total "win the battle, lose the war" situation. Both politically and in regards to the health of CPS.