Digging in their heels
In today's Sun, I report on the ongoing contract dispute between the city school system and its teachers union. Both sides are digging in their heels over how teachers spend ONE planning period a week. Yup, all this over what amounts to 45 minutes in most cases. All the pay and benefits stuff was settled months ago.
The union is asking its members to take a vote of no confidence in Andres Alonso, and teachers will begin picketing before and after school -- Wednesday at Patterson High, Thursday at Poly/Western, and who knows where after that? And remember, teachers are already torn over whether to follow the union's call that they work to rule.
Teachers, parents, where do you stand? Is this much ado about nothing? And what will the ramifications be for Alonso if he makes an enemy out of the teachers union?
Categories: Baltimore City
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Comments
You listen to the teachers (the good ones at least).
If there's a NEED to collaborate, they'll do it, during that planning period no less. To allow them to be forced to do so is upper-level administrative nonsense. Someone read a story in a magazine that said people work better in groups and thinks that all things must be collaborated at all times, and that's just not the case. Everyone wants what's best for the kids, but I'd take the word of those on the front lines over an administrator any day.
The downside is that making an enemy out of union that's legally obligated to be toothless has few ramifications, so Alonso can stomp all over everyone should he choose to do so.
Posted by: steegness | October 2, 2007 8:32 AM
As a teacher in the city, I'm horribly frustrated that my union is fighting for 45 minutes a week (and not my huge class sizes and class load, and not my lack of a 12-month contract, and not my lack of materials). We take those 45 minutes all the time. I don't want them mandated and controlled in order to do silly stuff for North Avenue, but I'm so mad at the union for fighting for this and not everything else.
I don't blame Alonso at all.
Posted by: epiph | October 3, 2007 12:16 AM