May 3, 2008

Another Reason to Private School in Rhode Island

Justin Katz

Here's another shining example of what public sector unions — specifically teachers' unions, specifically the NEA — have wrought:

The state Department of Education does not endorse the high school's plan for students to stand before their English classes to present their senior projects — a new graduation requirement here this year. ...

Most of the problems Tiverton High faces with its graduation plan can be traced to a long-running labor dispute involving teachers, who have been working under court order since last September. ...

Until now, a high school teacher has volunteered as a senior project coordinator, recruiting outside mentors to help students delve into their special interests and organizing and training judges for the culminating presentations.

But with the contract dispute permeating labor-management relations since last September, teachers have not volunteered to do much beyond their required duties. ...

Nor do the prescribed duties include teachers fulfilling another new state requirement that all high school students have an adult adviser: someone who knows them well and can help them over the rough spots that often occur in adolescence.

The General Assembly should end public sector unionization — specifically teacher unionization.

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The NEA/AFT stooges have done more to harm the future of America than any other organization. These organizations should be illegal - they should all be brought up on charges of treason - talk about dumbing down America.
And teachers wonder why they don't get any respect? Only an idiot would wonder why they get no respect. They act/look/are represented by/are led around by/preach to a bunch of absolute stupid morons known as NEA/AFT union stooges.
You earn respect, you don't demand it.

Posted by: Mike Cappelli at May 3, 2008 11:12 AM

The teachers are back to school (under a court order), they don't have a new contract, and still people are kicking them.
If any of us were sent back to work under a court order, our attitude might not be that great, either. Remember, kids coming out of college who want to be teachers see this, and will be more inclined to find professions where they can make more money without being trashed on talk radio, letters to the editor, blogs, etc.

Posted by: rhody at May 3, 2008 4:59 PM

The GA should end public schools period. The union teachers are incompetent, marxist and riddled with child molestors.
Vouchers for everybody with annual COLA's-and not a penny more.

Posted by: Mike at May 3, 2008 6:59 PM

"new state requirement that all high school students have an adult adviser"?

My children already have adult advisers. They are called Dad and Mom. Tell the state to keep their adults off my children.

Posted by: Curious Resident at May 3, 2008 8:40 PM

'Schools Supt. William J. Rearick accused teachers of holding students hostage by failing to come forward as in the past to coordinate the senior project presentations.' Why doesn't he volunteer since he believes failure to do so creates hostages. Or he could attempt to find someone to fulfill this important role.

Justin, you propose abolishing public sector unions. Any thoughts on who would set terms of employment? Would you want your school committee handling teacher compensation or would it be town government?

Posted by: David at May 4, 2008 7:50 AM

David,

Out of frustration and a lack of time, I've stopped going to school committee meetings, but I know administrators have been seeking volunteers and volunteering for a variety of activities. You elide the phrase "as in the past"; this is something that teachers have done, and it is the ethos of unionization and collective bargaining that takes the great majority of district employees off the table as participants.

And do you really mean to pretend that there's some sort of mystery to uncollective contract negotiations? There are plenty of examples of public-sector workers who, whether by tradition, individual preference, or simple lack of large numbers of like employees, negotiate their own contracts. I suppose teachers would begin with their principals to get final authority from the superintendent, who would present contracts to the school committee for ratification.

That's how such things typically work outside the fantasy world of extended professional adolescence that unionization engenders. If contracts were individually negotiated, it merits noting, then teachers would be eager to volunteer as senior project coordinators and advisers because it would help to differentiate them when it comes time for an employee review.

Posted by: Justin Katz at May 4, 2008 8:09 AM

once again, Justin proves he doesn't care to learn the facts and just makes things up as he goes along.

Posted by: Pat Crowley at May 4, 2008 11:20 AM

Tell the state to keep their adults off my children.
Posted by Curious Resident at May 3, 2008 8:40 PM
XXX
With five million kids molested by public school teachers good luck at keeping adults off your chidren.

1-26-2007

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National Media Largely Ignore Public-School Sex Scandals

from staff reports

Some estimate 5 million students have been involved.

The mainstream media have heavily covered sex-abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, but some say the national news media have ignored an estimated 5 million students who have been sexually abused by their public-school teachers.

Terri Miller, president of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, suggested a cover up by school officials.

"Reports aren't being made by administrators when these allegations come to light," she said. "They are allowing too many teachers to quietly resign and move on to go molest somebody else's children."

Miller says the percentage of teachers who molest students is small, but when they're allowed to quietly resign, it casts a cloud of suspicion over all educators. She called it 'passing the trash' and said school administrators should be held to account.

Bob Unruh has kept a running list of teacher-student sex scandals for WorldNetDaily.

"The procedures are not really set up to publicize and let people know about predators," he said, "but really to conceal and to protect that person's tenure or protect a job, or allow them to resign and move on to another location."

Bob Knight, director with the Culture and Media Institute, said the media have been no-shows on covering the larger scandal.

"If the media treated the school scandals they way they treated the Catholic Church," he said, "they'd be calling for reforms, top to bottom, they'd be questioning the validity of the institutions themselves."

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003744.cfm

Posted by: Mike at May 4, 2008 1:20 PM

And once again, Pat Crowley shirks his professional responsibility to ensure that his organization is seen in as good a light as possible in order to offer a snarky comment that gives the semblance of supporting his clients... provided his clients are disinclined to question his value to them.

Posted by: Justin Katz at May 4, 2008 1:26 PM

Once again, a failed teacher takes out his frustration on people who could make it as a career.

http://www.timshelarts.com/justinkatz/jkatzconsulting/picsandpdfs/resume.pdf

Posted by: Pat Crowley at May 4, 2008 4:25 PM

Boy, Crowley, I hope you're not on the clock, right now, because your efforts are truly pitiful.

Although, I do appreciate periodic reminders that my résumé and Web site are in dire need of updating.

Posted by: Justin Katz at May 4, 2008 4:31 PM

oh Justin, when the new resume gets put together is this going to be a think tank or a blog? I just wish Justin that you were as angry at your elected school committee for wasting your tax dollars. They have spent more on legal fees than what paying for a raise would cost. But i know, that doesn't matter to you. It matters about winning and beating other people down in a career you seem not to have been able to succeed at.

Posted by: Pat Crowley at May 4, 2008 5:16 PM

First, I've never referred to this as a "think tank" or requested that others do so.

Second, I barely trust your numbers when you actually present them, let alone when you make unsubstantiated reference to them.

Third, I filled a computer teacher vacancy for one school year to help out the school connected to the church that I attended at the time. The same is true of my few months as a long-term seventh grade substitute. Both times, I had very minimal time for preparation, no educational background in the field, and only passing interest of pursuing it as a career.

Keep up the ad hominem, Crowley. I'm beginning to think you're on the payroll of some anti-union organization.

Posted by: Justin Katz at May 4, 2008 5:30 PM

--once again, Justin proves he doesn't care to learn the facts and just makes things up as he goes along.

Yet another fact-filled, logical and persuasive refutation by Mr. Crowley.

For a guy who likes to spout off about "justice" - "economic justice" "social justice" blah blah blah - his union Kool-Aid induced double vision (or is that double standard?) cause him to ignore the grave injustice of having the teachers unions diminish the future of entire future generations of American youth.

Sex abusers of children are called pedophiles; should we refer to NEA acolytes as pEDUphiles?

Posted by: Ragin' Rhode Islander at May 4, 2008 7:09 PM

Of course, you are the expert on ad hominem Justin. And since when did you start referring to me by only my last name? Have I lost all identity for you?

Posted by: Pat Crowley at May 4, 2008 8:39 PM

"They have spent more on legal fees"

That they spent anything on legal fees is excellent. You made my night, Pat.

Posted by: Monique at May 4, 2008 9:08 PM
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