Striking Teachers

I think they should be fighting for what is fair. Don't worry about the days missed, the kids will make them up on the back side of the school year.

I only know about unions that are not in the teaching world. I think way back when they started it was for good reason it helped protect the employee. Things are much different now and I think people should get paid accordingly. In other words the people that work hard should be making more money than people just sitting around. I agree that teachers have one of the hardest jobs. And I don’t think now would be the time to ask for more. (because of the economy)

We had a local district out on strike for MONTHS last year--and the kids went to school forever in the summer.

All I could think about were the double working families trying to find FT child care all at once in O. area!

I, too, appreciate teachers very much, but should they be allowed to strike when it affects SO many families?

There was a time when teachers were from the top 30% of the women in college classes. Now, most teachers come from the bottom 30% of the student body. Why would our most intelligent women, and best students, pick teaching? We underpay, overwork, and disrespect them constantly. The best college grads in other fields can make twice to several times what a teacher is paid in the corporate world.

We expect them to do more with fewer resources, for less pay, for more kids. And then, we expect them to work without a contract? Nope.

It sounds like they will actually be taking a paycut once they pay more for the health insurance. I would guess that between that and having to have larger classes and maybe having to teach more classes and do more extracurriculars with all the layoffs, that this is what is driving the strike.

I understand both sides, but in the long run, I think that if we take away the power to bargain, we will end up with the mediocre teachers and lose the good ones with experience, who will go find something else to do. Our children will end up paying the price - more dumbing down of American education. I guess what I am saying is that we will be penny wise and pound foolish if we don't keep good teachers on the payroll.

I am disgusted that teachers cannot find jobs in our country, in any state. Few social issues get my blood boiling and low teacher pay is one of them. You might as well add policemen and fireman to that list too.

Who in the world is willing to spend time teaching a roomful of kids something new, day in and day out, but these giving (in their own way) people like teachers? Look how much all of us freak out when we can't stand potty training our kids for more than a week? It takes a special heart, soul and mindset to be a teacher.

Our teachers deserve so much more. And while I'm ranting about this, I'm sure one of those stupid fool Kardashians just earned another million dollars for having their picture taken somewhere.

I think it is an outrage it has come to this.

I think Teacher's should be seen as saints. Yet they are Treated Like third world Garbage.

My mom is a Teacher. She works in the middle school just down the street from where I live. It is a tough area. We need good Teacher.

At the end of last year ALL the teachers had to reapply for there Spot with in the district. They were cutting back 75 more jobs.

It is sick. and Teachers should Strike. I fully support what they are fighting for.

Why should Walmart or some Mega Bank be able to rake in Millions and billions of dollars...but the school around the corner is falling apart we have 35 students in a class room meant for 20. In a school so full to capacity no child could ever Get anything actually Learned.

What have we become. I have to drive across the district.Lie and use my moms address, so I know my kiddo is at least in a class no bigger the 25 kids.

at the end of Every Year my mom always has that sinking feeling. She never knows what year her position will be cut. she teaches Special needs and Behavior disorders...They need her there. She may not be affordable next year for the district.

If your family happens to be lucky enough to be in an area that still has good education funding..Good Great for you. Understand that is not how it is everywhere. The school around the corner from us has too many kids. The building itself is falling apart and The play ground is only partially working.

It is not safe. The district has no funds to fix it.

I am all for Teachers fighting for every dollar they are paid...Regardless if it mucks up the school year. It has to happen sometime...the power's at be do not care. They have stopped fighting for those they stood for long ago. So the People have to take a stand for themselves..And sadly it will mess up every ones lives until it is fixed.

what is Criminal about it..is those Teacher that are out Striking were the ones that taught the CEO's and Big wigs. And they have choked the Education system to the point we can not afford to educate our kids....and then they Also Stole from Pensions..and Peoples 401. that is what is Criminal about the teacher's Striking is they are just defending what they have earned. So they can still afford to Teach.

What happens when they walk away. and we are left to fend and Teach our own Children. I know I can offer SOME education to my kids....About the Life I have walked through...But I sure as hell know I am not qualified to teach them math and Science. So the Criminals are not the Striking Teacher who have a union behind them.

The criminals are the Politicians. Making them sweat for every ounce of Life they can still try to grasp. While teaching your children how to Wade through the issues of life we can not prepare them for ourselves.

the Criminals Are the ones who have robbed from us for decades and will never have to face Justice for the wrong doing.

The Unions are the Way the System has survived as long as it has. Because we the people still have someone looking out for our best interests...And hear what the everyday people need. The Unions I have dealt with know more about how a Democracy works then Gov't Officials.

After sitting on the Union/Criminal theory a bit longer I had this thought:

Unions do not go into communities and put up cement Shells. Only to vacate them four years Later to move a few miles away...In even bigger square footage.

Unions help People. Educate and give a voice . Protect them from the corporate shells, who are looking out for their bottom Line and not the employees best interests. That move into communities. Exploit Low income Families. Only to drain the local economy, the Small Businesses in them and then move onto Greener Pastures.

The gig is up. We are onto what The Corporate system is trying to do to the Public Servants who have devoted their lives to making sure we can function....

The teacher's can not take any more cuts. They are spread SO thin already.

They should really see themselves as the Spokes People for the working class. They should have Police, Fire fighters and other Civil Servants that have come under attack, out their fighting behind them.

As a teacher, I completely get that the economy is suffering. What makes our job unique from others with unions and bargaining power is that when most companies cut back, the remaining employees don't typically have to work harder or longer hours. Usually business is down so the need for employees is reduced.

Well, in teaching, as positions are cut, someone has to pick up the slack. We end up with larger class sizes, more responsibility, more paperwork, and more, more, more. In my district our gifted teachers have been cut, so classroom teachers now hold the responsibility of meeting those needs. Okay, not so bad. We have fewer reading specialists, so we now have to work harder to meet the needs of our struggling students. Okay, still doable. Reading recovery has been cut, so now severely struggling readers in first grade can't get the help they need, so those teachers have to pick up the slack. We don't have enough people to run our interventions to help all these students, so kids in my class that need extra reading help can't meet with anyone, so they have to sit while I work with six other kids that are "worse" than they are.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. So, to increase all the responsibility of teachers, ask us to freeze our pay, and we now are paying more for insurance? I'm sorry, but I am working my tail off to help my students, getting more and more work every year, and I am taking home less money this year than I did two years ago. And, I am in my eighth year of college, fourth year of graduate school.

That's why teachers are striking!

Don't have an opinion on unions because I have no experience, but I'll tell you this - I spent the day today covering recess and lunch for teacher appreciation luncheon. The parents covered the cafeteria and the playground. I walked out of the school after four hours with a pounding head and an aching back and a huge appreciation of what the teachers do just during recess and lunch. The teachers at my kids' school earn every penny they're paid IMHO!

I've only read the most recent response (MOMof4) and must ask: what "lavish benefits"?? As a teacher I have regular health insurance and yes, a retirement plan if I work there my whole life, but is that really better than the private sector? On maternity leave I just got the 12 weeks of UNpaid leave... um, considering what I make how could I save for retirement or illnesses?
And I do agree with you that I absolutely work harder now. They laid off my coworkers, my aide, my assistant principal, but guess who does those jobs now? And yep, still same # of kids in the school.
And about "in light of current economy", well that's just politics. They had excuses to why they couldn't give cost of living increases well before the economy was bad. So, overall, I make less now (in real dollars) than I did when I started 8 years ago. No raises, more taken for health care, and furlough days.
Added:
My husband compared to the private sector too when 1/3 of our teaching staff was pink slipped last year, saying 1/3 of his employees were laid off. I responded that his company had lay-offs because there was less work (not the case here), not to mention that when times were good they got raises and bonuses. People go into teaching because they love kids, but also because (while it is low-paying) it was supposed to be a steady career with reliable pay.
And I find it very hard to believe that any of them are making 92k/year. Can you post that reference?

I wholeheartedly disagree with Melissa G about "when most companies cut back, the remaining employees don't typically have to work harder or longer hours."

My husband works for a fortune 500 company & they give other companies lessons on how to 'get more production without having to hire more people.' My husband does the job of 3 people. And I know there are many companies that do this.

Why aren't the teachers upset with the unions? they need to go to the homes of these big Fat Rats & protest at their doors. These Fat Rats aren't missing a meal or a bonus. They are spending these teachers union dues on lavish parties & sending 100' s of millions of dollars to the democratic party. And BTW one of my best friends husbands is a big union CEO, & she gets to travel to all the conventions FREE, goes to the spas FREE, shops & rights it off FREE. The union held a large summer party & had $90,000 to spend on the party. They decided to only spend $20,000 & all the top executives 6 of them split the $70,000 and called them a 'bonus'.

Also as far as public employees, well I have a problem paying there lavish benefits. They need to pay for their own healthcare & retirement accounts, just like private sector.

And teachers need to open the doors to parent volunteers to help in the classroom. I offered so many times to help, to no avail. I put my name on many different lists to help out in the library, office, playground & lunch room. I got one call all school year. And I wasn't the only parent that offered & wasn't called. I offered to help grade papers (1st grade), help different reading groups etc. so with that, a big part of me doesn't believe the gripes teachers have about not having enough help. I cannot go to my husbands job to volunteer my help.

This is NOT to bash teachers, these are my observations & my opinion

Gotta love a union! Criminals

It is BECAUSE of the economy they need to strike! They have to fight for what is due to them. For some reason education is the first place that gets hit in a budget crisis - I have never been able to figure that out except for the fact that education really is not important to our government.

I will not be popular with my statement. Everyone who is a teacher knew what the salary was when they started. My benefits and salary have been reduced as well in the private sector.

I don't like the way education is run. Education should not be the first to take a hit in a budget crisis. I think every citizen should review the budget of their school district. The waste is incrediable. The money that is spent in the education system here in the United States is the most out of all countries yet our results are not. Why is that? Is it the education system here?

Being a teacher is a calling and I respect anyone who goes into that profession. However, it is a profession and unfortunately everyone has been hit in this economy. The public sector employees have benefited from generous healthcare and retirement. That generally offseted lower pay; however, that has changed. Communities cannot afford to continue to pay the high cost of benefits for the public sector. You can't continue to raise taxes to pay for the unsustainable.

Nothing is free. I believe there need to be a complete overhaul in the education system and I do not agree with unions being in the education system.

I too have respect for teachers, my sister and sister-in-law are teachers.

I have looked at the teacher's salaries in my district and I personally think that if you are a first grade teacher making $92,000 per year in a nice suburb of Philadelphia and your co-pay is $10 to go to a doctor after 14 of teaching you're doing pretty well.
I admit, I can not for the life of me understand why a great teacher wants to be part of the union. If I am at the top of my game I do not want to get a 3% raise simply for showing up. I would want merit increases. The best teachers should be compensated more but can we please get rid of the incompetent ones.
I also think education would be much better without the teacher's union.
Melissa G - where did you get the idea that teachers are in a unique position that only they have to pick up the slack when there is downsizing. Corporate America is the same way. When a company downsizes those remaining do have to work longer hours and pick up additional responsibilities.

I also have a lot of respect for teachers, my dad was one. However our economy is what it is and not just teachers are being asked to make tough changes. In the last 7 years I've watched my company's workforce be reduced by over 1/3, but when business came back they only replaced about 10% of those workers - so guess who's doing all the work of those missing staff? That's right, those of us fortunate enough to have jobs! Saying that teachers are the only ones who have to work extra when other staff is laid off is incredibly myopic; it's that way all over the private sector too. I went 4 years without a cost of living or merit increase, my healthcare costs have increased by more than $150 a month in the last 3 years too. We didn't have the option of striking, not that I would want it, we knew if we didn't show up to work we would be replaced the next day. I think unions had their time and place, but the function they served is defunct and all they do now get in the way.

I think teachers should strike if they feel it is warranted. I do not support striking solely because of pay or benefits. What I don't understand or appreciate, I guess, is the *only* a 3% pay raise. For the vast majority of people raises are not guaranteed and are not given annually. My mom has worked for 20+ years as a nurse and for a 5 year period she only got a $0.10 raise. My husband hasn't had a raise in 3 years and must pay more for his insurance and has been given the tasks of a co-worker who was laid off. My dad hasn't received a raise in 5 years and must pay more for benefits. I don't know why union members seem to think a raise should be automatic and freely given on an annual basis. In a town not too far from me a union went on strike and demanded a $10/hour raise. They didn't get it and have been replaced by non union members. They never did resolve the issue because they refused to compromise. But I digress. I support good teachers. I support striking for the right reasons. I also want to point out, since everyone seems to argue this point, that whether one views teachers as well paid or underpaid obviously depends on geographic location. The average salary of a teacher in my district is $56,000. That is one of the higher paid jobs in the area so many people around here think teachers should just be happy with what they have and not ask for more.

If the district can't afford it, they can't afford it. I have taught in private and public school systems. Now I homeschool my own children. My police officer husband only ever gets about a 3% pay increase each year and I can't tell you how many time the insurance premium has eaten that 3% up. That's life.

Wow, I think the same things about any other essential job function that strikes. I truly believe that teachers are essential personnel in our society just like police, nurses, firefighters. That being said, I think that it is irresponsible to strike...this is only hurting the kids which is horribly unfair. Before I get blasted though, I also believe that teachers should be treated fairly...and that isn't always the case...

In todays economy, a 3% increase is not so bad. Having to pay more for
benefits; well it seems that is being asked of everyone including seniors
who receive social security. Increase of 3.8% nice yes, but Medicare up
something like $26 a month with with give them a net increase of $14 a
month. So it is not only the teachers.

I remember when my teachers went on strike in the 1970s to protest prop 13 and cuts that occurred then. It was actually a wonderful educational experience. I learned a lot about civics and free speech and an individual's responsibility. BTW, my mother directly benefited from prop 13 and it allowed her to keep her home after my father died. My teachers were not biased; they knew that my mother supported prop 13 and they educated us in a balanced way about why they would be striking. I also watched first hand how those cuts damaged my education.

Fast forward. I am a teacher with about 20 years of experience. I have not had a raise in over five years and cost of living increase in my very expensive area is over 18%. We have conceded our health care coverage and had it down graded in an effort to save jobs so that we can serve more students. Yesterday at the pharmacy I was told that my insurance (new, crappy, cheap one) will not pay for the migraine medicine that I need to function.

And I am one of the lucky ones and I totally get that. I have job security. I still have health care and so far I can still pay the bills, but each month it is getting harder and harder.

Our college is getting ready to make 3.5 million in cuts.....in spite of the fact that we are over-run with desperate students whose families are in crisis because of the economic crisis.

Something needs to change. I do not know the details of this particular teacher's strike, but my gut tells me that no one, in this economy, is striking on a whim. They must have serious reasons for moving forward.
Teachers, if nothing else, do understand the inter-connectedness of society and those teachers with jobs DO understand how bad others in their community have it because they see it everyday in the faces of the children they are teaching.

Updated

I remember when my teachers went on strike in the 1970s to protest prop 13 and cuts that occurred then. It was actually a wonderful educational experience. I learned a lot about civics and free speech and an individual's responsibility. BTW, my mother directly benefited from prop 13 and it allowed her to keep her home after my father died. My teachers were not biased; they knew that my mother supported prop 13 and they educated us in a balanced way about why they would be striking. I also watched first hand how those cuts damaged my education.

Fast forward. I am a teacher with about 20 years of experience. I have not had a raise in over five years and cost of living increase in my very expensive area is over 18%. We have conceded our health care coverage and had it down graded in an effort to save jobs so that we can serve more students. Yesterday at the pharmacy I was told that my insurance (new, crappy, cheap one) will not pay for the migraine medicine that I need to function.

And I am one of the lucky ones and I totally get that. I have job security. I still have health care and so far I can still pay the bills, but each month it is getting harder and harder.

Our college is getting ready to make 3.5 million in cuts.....in spite of the fact that we are over-run with desperate students whose families are in crisis because of the economic crisis.

Something needs to change. I do not know the details of this particular teacher's strike, but my gut tells me that no one, in this economy, is striking on a whim. They must have serious reasons for moving forward.
Teachers, if nothing else, do understand the inter-connectedness of society and those teachers with jobs DO understand how bad others in their community have it because they see it everyday in the faces of the children they are teaching.

I was an excellent teacher and I could never go on strike because the kids would be even further behind. At the last minute, the union reached a deal and I didn't have to cross the lines. Teachers were mad at me anyway. I should have told the principal I will not say until that day, but she needed to hire subs.

I support teacher strikes sometimes and not others.

When I DO support striking is when they're laying people off. No gifted class and slashing special ed (under the guise of "mainstreaming" to avoid pesky laws that disallow them from doing that) and increasing class size is an absolutely RIDICULOUS burden to be placed upon the employees they leave. They're now not doing one job, but 3, and all three suffer at the least, and often 2 of them are done badly. Purely and simply because they're not trained how to handle kids with disorders (giftedness is also a disorder and comes with one whole heckuva lotta drawbacks that most people don't see).

I've also been in districts where teachers are striking against the removal of support staff and "extra" classes, and school board decisions that radically impact students. ((Like in one district, the teachers struck because they changed the attendance policy for students, only giving them 9 absences per year, excused or unexcused, and then a mandatory repeat of grade. The stuck it out the first year; with the entire school district sick for 10 months, because sick kids got sent to school to avoid getting held back a year, and then struck the 2nd year. They won, and it got put pack to 15 absences per student per semester... but most of the other districts kept the 9 per year. And are STILL sick all. freakin. year. long.))

What drives me nuts, however, is when teachers making 60-75k per year are striking for more pay, citing low pay. (this has happened in a couple of districts we've live in with full support staff, gifted, special ed, music, art, etc.).

So I am neither 'for' nor 'against' strikes, period. I think it really depends on the cause of the strike in the first place.

I think teachers should be allowed to strike but then I also think parents should be allowed to come in and teach the classes so their kids could still learn.

You cannot put students first if you put teachers last.

And I cannot imagine what teaching has to do with women, Sue W. Teaching is not a women's profession. It has nothing to do with women or their intelligence.

Remember when the firefighters, fat cat teachers, and public workers crashed the economy? So now we have to make big cuts to public safety and education. No? Wait a minute, I don't either.

I feel that teachers deserve a better salary, and very cheap health insurance thru their provider. I'm not sure about contracts - maybe short term ones so neither teacher nor school is locked in to it for a long time, like 2 years? - and tenure is important.

I feel less state taxes should go toward elected official's salaries and more should go to teachers, police, firefighter, etc salaries.