Are Wisconsin Teachers Unfair to Skip School for Protests?

Gov. Scott Walker's union-limiting proposal catches heat from teachers.

By U.S. News Staff

February 18, 2011 RSS Feed Print

Protests continue in Wisconsin today against a bill the state legislature is considering that would limit collective bargaining rights of many union workers in the state. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have crossed the border into Illinois to deny Republican lawmakers supporting the bill a quorum—thus preventing a vote on the legislation. The plan, proposed by GOP Gov. Scott Walker to help shrink his state’s budget deficit, has caused an uproar among teachers and others who would be impacted by the austerity measure if it passes. Some school districts canceled classes yesterday and today since too many teachers called out sick to join the protests. But some believe the cost of such a walkout is far too high. U.S. News blogger Mary Shaffrey writes:

Before the teachers had a massive call-out sick day earlier this week, requiring school districts to close, did they think about the parents they affected who had to either scramble to find last minute (read: expensive) day care or stay home from work (read: lose pay) in order to care for their children who otherwise should have been in school? Furthermore, why punish the students, the people teachers claim to teach for, by bailing on them to promote their own personal interests? To me, this is nothing short of selfish.

Her fellow blogger disagrees, arguing the budget proposal more than justifies the protests. Jamie Stiehm writes:

Skating on thin ice, Gov. Scott Walker has evinced not a shred of human sympathy as he calmly goes about his business, which is to demonize and demoralize state workers. It's all part of a larger pattern. First it was public school teachers that got the broadsides, snide suggestions they aren't up to snuff. Now it's state public workers, with their pensions and healthcare as fair game. These people are public servants who should not be shrugged off so lightly and rudely.

What do you think? Are Wisconsin teachers being unfair to students and parents by skipping school to protest? Take the poll and post your thoughts below.

Previously: Is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to limit union bargaining the right move to balance the state's budget?

Tags:: Wisconsin,; democratic party,; education,; republican party

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Clearly The teachers are protecting kids and schools in protesting against the malicious legislation the WI Republicans are ramming through - legislation that will just about destroy public education in Wisconsin. Have you heard the details this crook Walker's trying to push through: slashing funding for the state university system, slashing public eduction to the bone. Its disgusting! Good for the teachers to protest these fascists.
We all should be sending out Amber Alerts because Republicans are attacking Wisconsin's kids, stealing their educations and loading these kids up with debt to pay for the corrupt handouts to the Kochs and the rest of the greedy rich unwilling to invest in Wisconsin or America.

Cheryl of OH 6:02PM March 03, 2011

I attended school in full classrooms, PE teachers teaching other classes, I learned algebra from a Spanish teacher, Chemistry taught by the drivers training teacher.....didn't have a school nurse, went to college, have an MBA, and went to public schools with all those scarey union teachers.
But all that shortage of qualified staff was not because of unions - it was because Ronald Reagan told everyone they should not pay taxes - so they voted against taxes to support schools, and the quality dropped. Before Reagan, the public schools were excellent in California, and the budget balanced every year - WITH UNIONS.
The GOP is DEFUNDING SCHOOLS - the unions are trying to keep public schools going. Then the GOP/TP complains about unions because of their desire to have no political opponents.... It's cynical, and terrible for students. So thank Saint Ronald - he started this when he was governor in California....and it has led to a tragic outcome on a national basis now.
Dwight Eisenhower was from Kansas - clearly conservative, and a big supporter of unions..... Oops!

DeeToo of SC 4:12PM February 23, 2011

Hedges - I knew you'd put up a double posting with double nasty about workers.... Walker decided to give a huge tax cut to corporations - THEN said he needed to cut a budget deficit????? Really??????? How did that get there?????? Why did he decide some unions could bargain but not others? Maybe their votes? Why is he still insisting on cutting off collective bargaining when he already has the concessions to balance the budget?????? And you quote FOX????? Oh - that is bound to be an objective view....
So the budget can be balanced on the backs of teachers. They have already agreed.. Why does Walker insist on a non-budget demand?
My sister was a teacher for over 38 years...she earned around $50k/year when she retired. Old car, old house, very modest lifestyle, raised two kids and put them through college....they got scholarships. She was all about the kids. Always.
"...Inaccurate comparisons of national and Wisconsin public employee compensation with private sector compensation are circulating in Wisconsin. These faulty comparisons, showing that public employees in Wisconsin are dramatically overpaid, seem to support legislative efforts to increase benefit contributions by public employees. These increased benefit contributions would subject them to a pay cut greater than 10% and eliminate their collective bargaining rights.
But when we compare apples to apples, we find that Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8% less in total compensation than comparable private sector workers. The comparisons—controlling for education, experience, hours of work, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, and disability—demonstrate that full-time state and local public employees earn lower wages and receive less in total compensation (including all benefits) than comparable private sector employees.
Why does it appear otherwise? Both nationally and within Wisconsin, public sector workers are significantly more educated than their private sector counterparts. Nationally, 54% of full-time state and local public sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree, compared with 35% of full-time private sector workers. In Wisconsin, the difference is even greater: 59% of full-time Wisconsin public sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree, compared with 30% of full-time private sector workers.
These stark educational differences arise for two reasons. First, many public employees are professionals and teachers in positions that require higher levels of education. Second, the movement to privatize public sector work has been accomplished in great part by moving low-skilled work from the public to private sector, where benefits are often more modest...."
Bottom line is you have to be sure to compare apples to apples.....

DeeToo of SC 4:05PM February 23, 2011

Are Wisconsin Teachers Unfair to Skip School for Protests?

Gov. Scott Walker's union-limiting proposal catches heat from teachers.

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Are Wisconsin teachers being unfair to students and parents by skipping school to protest?

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