Teachers, Unions, and Accountability, Oh My!
I always like seeing Leonard Pitts, Jr. face gracing the inside of my Sunday newspaper. It happens too infrequently. I enjoy reading his views when I agree with them. I enjoy reading his views when I disagree with them.So I was happy to find Leonard hanging out in today's newspaper. I was further pleased to see that he was talking about education. Whether I was going to agree with him or not...as a teacher who loves his writing...I was psyched.
He was talking about how he feels principals should be able to fire bad teachers, but for them to be able to have that power, rules and laws about union involvement would have to change. A teacher emailed Leonard saying that without the Union's protection, she'd be at the mercy of a principal deciding randomly to fire her. Since Leonard was talking about firing teachers who don't...well...teach, it makes me wonder how competent this teacher is.
So, I agree with Leonard. It shouldn't be so difficult to get rid of bad teachers. But I also see the emailing teacher's point of view.
In my School District I've seen principals and department heads fired simply because of personality conflicts and educational theory differences. And while that is a person in our District Office abusing power, it's easy to imagine a principal doing similar firings to get rid of teachers the principal just doesn't like.
So, as in most things, there's got to be a middle ground. Because maybe the emailing teacher is a fabulous teacher who just doesn't get along with her boss. Her boss shouldn't be able to call her in and fire her to satisfy his whims.
So the reasonable middle ground is that the principal, the teacher, and a union representative sit down and discuss the principal's concerns. The teacher is given a reasonable amount of time to improve on the areas of concern. The teacher would be given support in making these changes. Being teamed with a teacher who is an expert in that area. Resources to implement these changes. Etcetera. If, in that period of time, the teacher does not make improvements...then boot the teacher out the door. If the teacher makes improvements, then backslides into the bad teacher practices, then, yes, kick the teacher to the curb.
This past year at ARSE (Alternate Reality School of Excellence, remember?) the high school English teacher was apparently getting her teaching ideas from that best selling teacher's manual, Worst Practices. She wasn't in danger of getting fired, but our principal was saying that if she doesn't take the steps that she and the head of the English Department were asking her to make, she would be moved to middle school and I'd be moved to high school. She didn't change, but decided to retire at the end of the school year, but she was given time and support to make changes which she just chose not to do. Other than the possibility of being fired, that's how it should be.
But then, I have to wonder about the unions Leonard writes about. I've seen plenty of teachers get booted with little effect from our unions. Based on the protection I've seen, I'm sticking with not joining a union because I have seen no benefit other than more money taken from the paycheck.
Wait...that's not a benefit...nevermind...
Here's Leonard Pitts. Jr,'s article: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/31/1755488/teacher-unions-fighting-accountability.html
posted by Bodog @ 4:25 PM
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