Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just saw this so I apologize for late response. Having said that, the links you are referring to are complete bull****. Geoffrey Canada and Michelle Rhee may fall into liberal categories for unknown reasons. But they are about the money. Rhee turned out to be a failure and a fraud and Canada's way of keeping up his reputation is to get rid of under performing students while treating his constantly turning over staff like slaves. Waiting For Superman was nothing more than a charter school advertisement....even though it admitted that only one in five charters do as well as public schools. Rhee is a liar...I don't know if I'd call Canada a liar, but he is not exactly truthful and manages to skirt around critical questions.
Hi. I see a lot of districts in New York do not have unions. What are the pros and cons of working for a district with/without one? Thanks
I'm shocked by this. I live in lower NY (Long Island) and all our SDs are unionized.
Pros: Collective bargaining. Health insurance. Pensions (assuming the state doesn't wipe them out by the time retirement rolls around). Due process if you're tenured (you can't be fired because the principal wants to bring in a friend/family member into your position).
Not a teacher but will weigh in as a parent and spouse to a teacher.
In CA the "union" gets blamed for a lot of what is wrong with the education system. While some blame can be put there, I think that bad administrators are a larger issue.
The biggest cons to the union:
1) it is really hard to fire a bad teacher. While not impossible, it is quite a bit of work and more than what most Principals are willing to do.
2) The union fights consistently for a shorter school year. Most contracts are for around 180 school days. This is significantly lower than the rest of the world.
3) The union really fights for the current members and not the new hires. A new teacher will make less than half of a tenured one. In theory this is because the senior teacher can help the newer teachers. I wish they would find a way to increase the starting teacher salary.
The Pros have been stated:
1) Protection - People in CA sue over everything.
2) pay increases
Last edited by toobusytoday; 05-24-2016 at 06:17 AM..
Reason: fixed typo - Principal, not principle
I'm shocked by this. I live in lower NY (Long Island) and all our SDs are unionized.
Pros: Collective bargaining. Health insurance. Pensions (assuming the state doesn't wipe them out by the time retirement rolls around). Due process if you're tenured (you can't be fired because the principal wants to bring in a friend/family member into your position).
Cons: Popular opinion seems to be anti-union.
Then how come many of the districts on Long Island end with UFSD ( for example: Wyandanch UFSD, East Williston UFSD).
Then how come many of the districts on Long Island end with UFSD ( for example: Wyandanch UFSD, East Williston UFSD).
I am really trying to understand this...
The answer to the above was explained to you on the Long Island forum when you posted the exact same question. The U in Union Free School District has absolutely nothing to do with Labor unions and actually pre-dates them.
The answer to the above was explained to you on the Long Island forum when you posted the exact same question. The U in Union Free School District has absolutely nothing to do with Labor unions and actually pre-dates them.
yes thank you for reminding me but I hadn't forgotten that I posted the question....
I read the true definition but looking for people's opinions and experiences that would not be answered in a google search
Cons:
Idiot coworkers who have been saved by said job protection!
I have a great union, that's the only negative.
I agree 100%. I know of a teacher who filed a grievance against a principal for being unfairly treated- he won. Try doing that without a union. But then again, I've worked in union districts where that would never happen.
If you're really talented at your job you don't need a union.
True but sometimes the talented teachers don't have time to worry about getting the best benefits like good negotiated agreements, salary increases, health care plans, bonuses, etc.
Unions usually have good leadership who looks out for making sure that the District negotiates a good contract.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
