New Jersey Education Fight Shows Union Pettiness

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Before asking teachers to take a pay freeze, how about getting gov. reps to take a pay freeze and decrease their outlandish lifetime pensions?

Maureen of MA 11:36AM August 03, 2010

Its about time a Gov, from any state would stand up to the special interest. Christie was being fair to all they didnt except so when some get laid off thank your union leaders. They even wanted to raise dues to a level equal to the amount they would not recieve to file suite. Not very inteligent for Educated people.
They pay nothing towards thier helth insurance. They nweed to let the ones go who are not performing. The day of Unions has come to and end and in most cases is just unnecassary as labor laws have become more stringent. What was needed 1930 is not needed today.

jerry of NY 11:04AM July 15, 2010

Galupo's post on N.J. teachers' unions is a bit too brief to be helpful. How can we judge if the unions are right or wrong in opposing a pay freeze and making voluntary contributions to health care insurance until we know such things as:
1. Class sizes and overall teacher class and student loads,
2. The pay scales of teachers who are in unions,
3. Teacher ratings and success with moving students along
to the next level without problems that indicate
students' lack of preparation.
4. Working conditions (inner city, school buildings,
teacher aids, classroom and school equipment.
I, too, am suspicious that unions can be obstacles, therefore in New Jersey, too, maybe. However, I'm also well aware the unions are unnecessary when salaries, conditions, and work hours are satisfactory. Are the NJ unions necessary because of inadequacies in those areas or are they JUST entrenched? (The latter should be tested against unions in professional sports to be fair, no?)
Because teachers take it on the chin regularly for the failures of parents, school support, student preparedness, and the like, I'm loath to judge when teachers are asked to sacrifice more than they do every day just by being teachers.
Help, Galupo! Give us more to work with.

Ron W. Smith of UT 3:40PM April 23, 2010

was previously a salesman for No Child Left Behind, they why is he writing articles here with a flip attitude about actual teachers?
Haven't we figured out yet that NCLB did not accomplish anything other than paying corporations for testing materials?

Muser of NM 12:00AM April 23, 2010