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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

PROPAGANDA AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD



The Union Members are First!
Students First is Just a Logo!


The local school board is supposed to represent the people of the district.   Unfortunately, that has not been the case for many, many years.   One of the most important consequences of teacher unionization is the erosion of school board authority.   This transfer of power is the result of union control and administrative control.   Administrators are chosen from the teacher pool.  Thus they are former union members and sympathetic to union demands.

Originally,  the elected school board determined the meeting agenda, the priorities of the district, terms and conditions of employment and so on.   When the union entered the picture "collective bargaining" determined everything.   The union decides everything from the number of students in a class, school day times, benefits, tenure, step raises, additional annual raises holiday calendar and everything that happens in the schools.

Today, the union actually chooses the school board.   Most school boards consist of teachers from other districts, retired teachers from the district, spouses of teachers and administrators, PTA leaders, and former administrators.   The public has been fed constant propaganda that the union's choice is the best choice.   Anyone that runs for school board that asks questions is attacked by the union and their leaders.   An independent person has a slight chance of getting elected.   The candidates without the union's help and endorsement simply have only a slight chance of winning.   Campaigns for any office require money and manpower.   The union has both.   

Often the superintendent and other union members will demonize people who question anything they do.   They resent any questions regarding curriculum, funding and spending. At the same time they claim transparency.   They don't want taxpayers to know how they spend their money.   The union requires control to get what they want.  The negotiation process is a farce.

When a contract is to be renewed,   the school board hires a professional "negotiator" to meet with the union leaders and the state NEA negotiator.    Usually there is a legal team sitting in on the negotiations.  To my dismay, as a former board member, I was told that I was not welcome to sit in on the negotiations.   If I chose to ignore that advice, I was "told" that I could not say a word and only listen to the "professionals."    The negotiators are given supreme authority.  

Of course, the whole charade is just for propaganda purposes.   The superintendent wants the district to get a big raise.   He knows his raise will be even bigger.   The treasurer sits there like a rock because the union knows to the penny just how much the district has on the books.    Their intent is to "bargain" for every cent and more.    Almost all of the general fund goes for salaries and benefits.   

Of course they will give press releases that say that the board does not care about the district, that they don't want the teachers to be professionals who only care about "the children."  The press is more than cooperative with the teacher's union.    Of course the superintendent gives a statement saying how he is trying to be fair for one and all.  He just hates to have to ask for another levy, but that is what has to happen.

This exact scenario is duplicated in every district.   They compare the salaries at other districts that are higher than those in your district.    They publish information that says something to the effect that another close district's teachers make 5% more than our district. We are so economical with the taxpayers money.  What they don't say is that district recently negotiated a new contract.   They had settled with the union's demands.  Of course your salaries and benefits are less.  You haven't finalized the new contract.  Then the same group of union officials and lawyers moves on to another district with the same spiel.

The local union follows the state and federal NEA/AFT policies and demands.   All levels of the union barrages the public with constant reminders of just how indispensable the union members are to the "children."  They get the students, parents, teachers and local business owners involved.   Usually the local bankers, architects, contractors and other businesses get involved.   If any business decides to not support the demands or the option of passing a levy to meet the unions demands, then they are threatened with a boycott.   This happens quite often.   I have seen a local restaurant go out of business because of the boycott threat and action.   Parents and citizens alike are afraid of the union.   They know children are at the mercy of these people.

If they don't get what they want then they threaten a "strike."  A strike threat gives them visibility.   They have professionally designed signs and matching shirts.   They wear large propaganda buttons on their shirts.   They have "Thank a Teacher" bumper stickers made up for parents, teachers and anyone that is willing to put one on their car.  THEY ARE ORGANIZED.

THE SCHOOL BOARD IS NOW AN ARM OF THE UNION.


80% of NYC grads cannot read properly,
but the mayor is worried about salt.
NYC schools have the strongest teacher's union
in the country.

1 comment:

  1. Wow, reading this really makes me think this country is going to hell in a hand basket. How do we expect to have educated and productive children that will be running this country in the future if the schools are only concerned about paying their teachers and supporters more money. Levy after levy happens and it's never enough. Where in the world does all this money go?? They claim it's for the children, but really it's for their pockets! We need balance on the school boards, people that represent the public and not the union. I would love to see more parents home school their kids so we can take back our future.

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