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Hernando Today

Fix Public Education By Eliminating Teacher Unions

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 16, 2008

Mr. Gries and Mr. Embarquer:

Your responses to my questions signified to me that you both ought to be skating for the "Holiday on Ice" team. You both skated around my questions exquisitely.

However, as before, neither of you addressed my questions. I'll assume you don't know.

Another teacher entered the fray and listed standard teacher doses of sugar and love for her job, which I don't doubt for a minute. If I worked half a year and made the wages she does, I'd be doing hand flips. She didn't address my questions. So, I'll give you my views.

1. Teachers unions exist to upgrade the personal fortunes of their members.

2. They also exist to prevent their membership from being fired for "any" reason. Therefore teachers, capable or not, remain on the payroll and teach our children capable or not. Grade all teachers and place them where they can perform to their abilities.

3. Teachers unions exist to collect dues to be spent lobbying Congress (state and federal) to guarantee teachers "rights" as they see them.

4. States (Florida) spend additional monies to pay for teachers' additional education, then pay them bonuses on top of it.

5. Teachers want to be considered "professionals" but embrace unions with unrestrained affection. Unions were originally organized to protect laborers from greedy, fickle or irresponsible treatment by management. Toward that end I agree with their establishment. However, unions as exemplified by the auto workers unions, have grown so powerful they tend to ruin businesses by their demands. Witness the latest round of congressional browbeating given the CEO's of the American car companies. Where was the union while the car companies were agreeing to government demands (Car Czar, auto emissions, gas mileage), what was the union contributing? Nothing that I can see. Yet their high wages and benefits are major contributors to the problem.

6. Teachers unions exhibit the same union thugery - strikes, excessive wage demands, exorbitant retirement packages, etc. I understand teachers who save "sick" days get paid if they don't use them.

My solution would be to eliminate teachers unions. Let teachers earn by their students performance, their promotions, bonuses and benefits. Let incompetent teachers go or place them in a nonteaching capacity.

Reward educational attainment.

Extend the school year to a full year.

Eliminate "sick days." If you're sick, you take paid sick leave, no accumulating.

Don Plezia

Spring Hill

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