If Joplin teachers have not walked off the job since the 1960s, they are to be commended, in light of what they endure. Missouri is 48th in the country for pay for teachers--only two states are worse, in other words--and Joplin teachers are paid way below the average for districts in this state. It is pathetic and a stark reminder of why collective bargaining is so vital to maintaining a learning community. Lack of pay, lack of respect, and lack of representation is why Joplin teachers have left en masse the last few years. There are far better districts surrounding Joplin.
Do not lef Huff or his team delude you with their statistics about the percentage of teachers leaving Joplin as opposed to the state or nation. That average also includes AmericaCorp teachers, who are only hired for two years, and it reflects the massive numbers of teacher flight in the inner-city schools. Some of that is attributed to AmericaCorp teachers, and some to difficult working conditions. The best comparison is the number of teachers leaving before Huff, after Huff, and after the tornado. Don't compare apples to oranges.
Joplin abuses its staff, from the top to the bottom, with the exception of those at the Administration Building and their pets who were willing to hurt others in order to propel themselves forward. Joplin Schools cannot succeed again until this mess is cleaned out and sent down the road. Teachers should demand this more than high raises, as we all know there is no money to be given out until the massive numbers of nonessential personnel are trimmed to a reasonable size. Collective bargaining can assist in driving that process, but it will take a new, stronger Board to ensure implementation. FEMA money could be as many as four years away. There are no reserves. The district is highly in debt. There will be job cuts. It's whose job, and what happens to the resources freed from those cuts, that will have to be the source of negotiation. You can rest assured that CJ, bless his sobbing little heart, will want to cut from the bottom of the stack and not the top, as the only support he has is his hired guns at the top. This must not be allowed to happen. It's time to make the voices of staff heard. All the staff. Not just the chosen few.
12 comments:
NEA supports many extremely liberal ideas and organizations that I believe to be morally wrong. MSTA does not do a very good job of supporting teachers. It would really be better if they could work together. I know NEA has been for that in the past. I hope they still are.
Bottom line, crazy principals leave teachers alone if they belong to NEA.
The mess we have in R8 isn't about salaries. I worry when that is a main point being made. Salaries ARE important because teachers have to be able to support their families but I am always concerned that people think teachers are upset about just the money. That makes us sound selfish. There are many in this area who haven't gotten raises at all for many years.
The things that are truly a problem relate to the climate in the buildings and throughout the district.
We have new schools but they are built poorly.
We have old schools that are literally falling apart. Example:Columbia has a crack on the second floor that gets larger and larger every year. Doors must be adjusted because the shift is that significant.
Title 1 money has been used to purchase computer programs (Read 180) and other pieces of technology instead of supporting teachers and students with highly trained teachers.
Since we're talking about highly trained teachers, I'd like to see the numbers on how many years of experience teachers have. New teachers are great because they are fresh and excited. Experienced teachers are great because they have real, hands-on experience and training.
The PD isn't about helping teachers teach, it's some weird kind of brainwashing that is supposed to get everyone to follow the Pied Piper (CJ). Oh, and just use that teacher's manual. If you can read the script in there like a monkey, our kids will learn just fine.
Building administrators are just admin puppets for the most part. I can think of 6 principals (elementary and secondary) who I would not consider to be puppets. Among those, there are only 3 that I would consider to be doing everything they can for kids while working in the messed up system.
Too many of these people have bought into the "all testing all the time" agenda.
There are upper level administrators who are not certified for their jobs, there are building level administrators who are or were not certified but were hired anyway because they are friends with someone from the 'in crowd'.
And then there are the coaches. Are there any 'original' coaches left? I think they are all gone and/or in administrative positions. These folks are the spies and groupies for upper administration. They are the very people who are supposed to support both teachers and principals. They are supposed to help teachers learn and then implement that new learning. Since they are busy hanging out with the folks at the ad building and reporting back all the things they've heard, there isn't anyone who trusts them especially those principals who used to be coaches.
The board has been brainwashed into believing that wearing nice clothes to work and letting administrators run rampant will fix all our problems.
If it takes the collective bargaining to clean it up, then let's get this taken care of. What a mess!
As the reader said, and 12:04, there is more to this than money. There is no money to be had. It's about making things better. At the beginning of the year we were all indoctrinated with a video about this being the year of the WIGs (Wildly Important Goals). There were to be just two goals for staff to concentrate on. Anything else keeps the goals from being met. But at last count there were at least 27 new things expected of staff this year. Those extras are considered part of the "whirlwind" and not part of the "WIGs". I don't think staff are getting a whirlwind with a silver lining, though. I think the one the staff got is made of lead pipe. Sure feels like it every time it comes back around and hits us.
11:25--
Some specific information instead of generalizations about the NEA would be good. Otherwise, what you say is only hearsay. Many of the staff that have been fired were NEA members. Membership doesn't guarantee a job for life. It just guarantees representation. You really need some facts instead of just accusations. We would like to know what you know about the big, bad NEA.
The lead pipe analogy is about right. Teachers are consummate rule followers. We like school and most were pretty good at it as kids, so this isn't rebelling against rules. What teachers in Joplin must face every day is constant harrassment. It's one new thing after another to the point that no one can keep up. People with the best of intentions have to either lie to protect themselves or give up and leave. Constant new things makes constant chaos. Each new initiative needs new people to promote it and some system of accountability for staff. When the overwhelmed staff can't produce results even more nonsense is added on. If collective bargaining can help with this I'm all for it. If it can't I will be looking for a different profession.
Unfortunately, the push to unionize the teachers will achieve the opposite of what needs to happen as it will cause the R8 Board to circle the wagons with even greater support for CJ Huff. Human nature will take over: when R8 Board is faced by a union threat they will become defensive and even more intractable. Do not expect Huff's head on a platter to be offered to resolve differences. Expect heightened tensions and antagonism.
Teachers: expect your union dues to support Obama and the Democratic Party. Most dues end up there.
7:16
That would be fine. The alternative is to stay as we are under CJ's thumb. One must assume since he is a professed Conservative and the board members supporting him are professed Conservatives that the alternative could only bring relief.
Your divisive tactics are cheap shots. Bring some proof or be quiet, 7:16. You add nothing substantial to the conversation. You are simply trying to divide and conquer. It isn't going to work.
As to the negative comments about NEA, you are misinformed. NEA works to ensure that the laws regarding teachers are followed in regards to due process (pleas also remember that the U.S. Constitution provides for due process under the law). They also work to educate teachers and the public about the problems inherent in education and what could/should be done to help correct them. I would also like to point out the it is illegal for union dues (at least in Missouri) to be used for political donations. In fact, MNEA has SEPARATE procedures/accounts for members IF they wish to contribute to a political PAC, etc. Please research your assumptions before you present them as fact in your opinions.
8:20 is incorrect. It is not "illegal for union dues to be used for political donations." check out the Missouri Ethics Commission website and start looking at any DEMOCRATIC politician's record --- you will find union money everywhere.
Here is Attorney General Koster (now running for governor):
http://www.mec.mo.gov/EthicsWeb/CampaignFinance/CF_SearchLrgContr.aspx
Two examples out of 8 for 2014 that were over $10,000 (for anyone not wanting to go online and look for themselves):
02/02/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR KOSTER UAW Region 5 PAC 721 Dunn Road Hazelwood MO 63042 1/31/2014 $25,000.00
C031159 02/09/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR KOSTER Ironworkers Political Education Fund 1750 New York Avenue, NW Suite 400 Washington DC 20006 2/7/2014 $35,000.00
Unemployment in the US is down to 5.76%, the lowest since the onset of the Recession of 2008. However, more and more Americans are falling into poverty and wages are stagnant. The Republicans have made anti-union, anti-worker fairness their mantra, so as to keep the top 1% quite wealthy and donating to their campaigns. Whereas it is true that unions can demand too much, without them the American employee is subject to exploitation and diminishing power. So, bring on the unions. We cannot survive without representation in an era of unsurpassed greed. We will revert to the 1930s very quickly if change does not come quickly. I can only guess what 10% of the population 7:51 comes from.
I do not wish to divide nor am I trying to spread negativity in regards to NEA. The national organization supports abortion and other liberal ideals that I do not. The only reason I could allow myself to join NEA was due to the fact that they do have the separate contribution. I still don't like that association and I think that both NEA and MSTA should work together. Bottom line, Huff and Co. need to be driven out like the rats they are.
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