Would teachers be paid even less than they already are if they were phased out - starting today?
Would that make it more difficult to attract good teachers if they were phased out - starting today?
Would education be better or worse in the future if that happened? I'm not sure.
If the concern is that unions make it too diffiult to fire poor teachers, I'm with you. Many teachers are as well. But I'd prefer to reform within the union than to do away with it entirely.
I don't think there's really too much performance gain to be had by eliminating the teacher's union.
In Rochester, the union blocked a proposal to pay math and science teachers more than other teachers, a proposal to offer merit-based bonuses at the end of the year, and a proposal to make tenure linked to performance rather than seniority.
If I was a good teacher, those are all proposals I would get behind.
Me, too, except the math and science part. But the devil is in the details on those types of proposals.
As for tenure, I think it should be like a football contract. You get a one-, two-, or a three-year deal. Your performance comes up for review at the end of your contract, and the school chooses whether to renew you or let you go in favor of someone else.
I think you are definately right heck, the devil is certainly always in the details. Tupa is right about his position on merit based award system and tenure based on performance rather than seniority. I maybe jaded because of an incident with my daughter with my school system and subsequently the Teachers union.
Teachers are not allowed to teach, they have become victims to socialized education. no child left behind.(BS!)
Where are the sat & act scores compared to 20 or 30 years ago?
Why are teachers not allowed to fail kids when they are to lazy to do there homework?
What we need, is to bring back discipline into the class room.
All Teachers should be Payed by there Performance and not by tenure!
In the real world if you are a janitor and have been at the same job for 5 or more years do you deserve more pay than the new guy who makes the sales, or does the book keeping? heck no! you are payed for your performance., and what you can bring to the business.
