"When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children," said Albert Shanker, founder and long-time president of the United Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers. But he also said: "A lot of people who have been hired as teachers are basically not competent." Of course he still worked unceasingly to keep the incompetents paying union dues.
The fact that the California Democrat Party is a wholly owned union subsidiary was again demonstrated this past week. A bill to allow school districts to use performance rather than seniority as a criterion for laying off teachers didn’t get six votes and died in committee. Three Republicans voted for, two Democrats against, and five Democrats abstained.
Abstained? Is that how Democrats stand up to be counted?
California Teachers Association members left their classrooms to pack the hearing room to voice their opposition, but needn’t have bothered; Democrats on the committee received $176,200 from the two largest teachers’ unions since 2004. Republicans got zip. Shanker applauds.
Many Democrats agree that public funds should be used to recruit, retain, and reward the best teachers. Indeed, many teachers would like to see the "deadwood" cleared. But with the teachers' union in charge of the Democrats, it's who paid dues longest: seniority rules.
I was fortunate in my association with Point Arena public schools, both as a student 1949-1960 and as a school board member with Alice. Unfortunately, my three sons were not so lucky; the Illinois, Hawaii, and California public schools they attended as the Air Force moved us around were far from adequate. If I could relive the past, my sons would have been in private schools.
Democrats and the teachers’ union would only care when no dues get paid.
Michael B. Combs
Michael B. Combs
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