1 question for those supporting the chicago teachers

[Lifelong Protester]

240. *sigh*

Being a teacher, in a union, is not all about negotiating for salary. The bigger issues are control of the learning environment. This would be about class size, getting textbooks in a timely fashion, being evaluated fairly. I negotiated several times. The money issue is usually the first thing to get settled. The negotiations are about everything else, mainly the working conditions of teachers which, yes, are directly things which influence the learning that takes place.

No one seems to be talking about the latter. Let's get this straight, standardized test scores are NOT the way to evaluate a teacher. But bureaucrats like it, folks that know nothing about psychometrics like it, because it TAKES SOMETHING COMPLEX, AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN IT IN A SIMPLE WAY. It is a way to reduce everything to a number, a real bottom line approach. And it is meaningless.

The Chicago teachers want some say in their working conditions in order to make sure that learning environment is optimum.

This is one of the things I had hoped folks would learn from the Wisconsin situation. The union had already agreed to the $$$ concessions (more teacher contribution to pension, more to health insurance) and Scott Walker and his cronies took down collective bargaining anyway. He even testified to Congress, his taking out of collective bargaining had NOTHING to do with money. Google his testimony to Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

And I have been an educator for 30 years. I am a teacher and one of those useless administrators that some here are so quick to throw under the bus. Oh, and BTW, I did NOT have to follow the Act 10 mandate to pay more for my pension or my health care. I CHOSE TO. I stand with the workers.