Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald has an interesting column on teachers versus teachers unions. In it, he discusses the effect that unions can have on the educational system.
Americans seem to be rallying around a demand for education reform. Apparently, we’ve had enough of students failing schools and schools failing students. We know our kids are capable of better — and that in a competitive, hyper-connected world where China is rising and India aspiring, not delivering better is no longer an option.
Unfortunately, whenever anyone seeks to require better, they seem to find themselves at odds with the last people you’d expect: teachers. Or, more accurately, teachers unions.
It can be easy to place the blame on teachers unions, especially in states where they wield enormous power. The power of the unions in Virginia is somewhat limited, it being a right-to-work state. What I’ve seen happen, though, is that the school boards don’t exercise enough authority. They actually have the power to implement certain changes, but refuse to do so, thereby ceding their power to the unions.
We all want better schools. It shouldn’t be so difficult to work together towards that end.
Oh, and welcome to Norfolk, Dr. Bentley!
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 