In the words of that great scholar Gomer Pyle, “SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!”.
The Maryland State Teachers Association (now traveling under the moniker “Maryland State Education Association”) has endorsed Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Rep. Frank Kratovil for re-election.
Why would this, or any other supposedly non-partisan group, endorse these candidates over one year before the election? Money.
We need to remember that the MSEA is no more about education than the United Auto Workers. They are a union, plain and simple. Their purpose is to get more teachers hired and negotiate higher pay for those teachers. Their job is make sure that teachers can’t be fired for poor performance and to ensure that teachers’ work as little as possible. That said, they are no more concerned with providing quality education than the UAW is with making sure that GM, Ford, and Chrysler build quality cars.
To do so, they need to tie themselves to Democrats. Wait! I thought that the MSEA was supposed to be non-partisan?
from Delmarva Dealings
19 comments:
With the Board of Education being 55% of the entire state budget, it's no wonder they support him. Also, in case anyone forgot, once O'Malley sets the budget for the year, IT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED.
While everyone else gets laid off, furloughs and pay reductions, the Teachers cannot be touched.
It's almost criminal, IMHO.
It IS criminal!
For such a well educated group, they are not real smart!!
I have never written a comment until today. I myself am a teacher. It does bother me how the comment was made that teachers want to work as little as possible. I get to school by no later than 7:30 in the morning and my day is not done until I go to bed at night. I bring home work and plan lessons after I put my children to sleep at night. My #1 PRIORITY IS the STUDENTS I teach and how to get each one to learn the concept taught so they can succeed. If I didn't care about my students then I would not put in the work that I do on a daily basis and on the weekends. I am absolutely not trying to get people to feel bad that I work the many extra hours because it is my job and I could not see myself doing anything else. However, I feel that not ALL teachers should be put in the bracket of "to ensure that teachers work as little as possible." I definitely agree that there are teachers out there who do not need to be in the classroom! It just really hurts when I put so much in to making a difference in the lives of my students and then I continue to read posts about people putting teachers down. I hope I am one of the teachers that my students will always remember when they get older....Teachers play a very big role in the children and what they know and learn.
Education is important, but it cant justify more than a third of the budget in any possible way. These folks need to realize that they are just that... folks raisin' kids like the rest of us.
I am a teacher and I have never supported any candidate the union has endorsed. It is always a Democrat. All you have to do is look at what O'Malley did to the Baltimore City schools when he was Mayor, to know he doesn't know anything about education. They don't even know who is running against these two and they endorse them now.
What brand of marijuana cigarettes are you smoking?
Why would they make an endorsement so soon? Have either registered for re-election?
I don't get it, my wife paid union dues for over 30 years, and I don't ever recall one time the union held a seminar or sent out info on how she could work less. Perhaps, in addition to the average 13 hour days she worked, she really was not expected to attend all the after hours school activities in order to be a "team player". All those skating parties, PTA fund raisers, and concerts, where was the union then? Are you sure you are talking about the Maryland State Teachers Union? Don't worry G.A., the next Wicomico Co. budget is so far in the red from the tax cap, that the rich, lazy teachers, public safety workers, etc. you complain about will join their Delaware friends on the furlough list. Ah sweet schadenfreude, may you enjoy it to the fullest.
anonymous 9:01, It's called a job. With all due respect, you knew what you were getting into and I for one thank you for going to the levels in your job that you do. However, O'Malley and the current legislation allows NO ROOM for the citizens to fight back against the Union in which you are a part of.
I don't believe it's a personal attack against ALL teachers. I believe it's an opinion that deserves a whole hell of a lot more attention because it's clearly favoritism and perhaps even borderline illegal.
I will also agree that the original Post is quite harsh in the statement "teachers work as little as possible." We're lucky to have good ones and I hope this Post doesn't discourage you from continuing to provide a top shelf education for our children.
If you become defensive, well, you'll simply become one of those teachers GA is talking about and everyone out there is the enemy. That's not good. I'll remind you that GA's Wife is a teacher as well and works very long, hard hours too. There are good ones and bad ones. Clearly you're one of the good ones and you should defend your profession.
Now look at the non-partisan part of the message, re think your statement and let me ask you, do you still stand 100% behind your message. Or can you look at it from the outside, (as a taxpayer) and see GA's point.
The Teachers Union endorses a candidate this far before an election, there's something very wrong with this picture.
Thousands of people will be losing their jobs because the BOE is 100% secure. Sleep on that one tonight, if you can.
you get summers off..quit your belly aching
Anon 2101 -
I never said that it was each teacher's desire to work as little as possible; nor do I believe that the vast majority of teachers work for the paycheck. However, the goal of the union is to get its members higher pay, less work, and more restrict work rules (i.e. tenure).
I know many teachers whose first priority is the education of children. That is not the priority of the MSEA or BOE's that kow-tow to the unions.
This endorsement was bought and paid for with our money.
Teachers provide one of the most important services to communities across the nation. They are also in high demand in many areas. They should be paid accordingly. But of course these free market principals do not apply when they don't mesh as well with the conservative agenda.
Aeren't they highly partisan liberal democrats who always support partisan liberal democrats?
So what's new?
Anon 0818 -
Of course, anyone who would make such a ridiculous statement would also refuse to sign their work.
The free market does work. Teachers are free to chase that higher paycheck. If you want to work somewhere else, GO!
If you (and your union) were serious about the free market then you wouldn't demand state interference in a local matter. In other words, there would be no tenure. There would not be a prohibition against merit pay. The list goes on.
Teachers' unions are like the US Chamber of Commerce. They are only for the free market when it suits. Otherwise, you want government protection. I say to hell with both groups.
Harrsion, teachers unions have power BECAUSE of the free market. You don't like it? Then start pulling all the kids out of school and teach them a k-12 education at home.
I wish people would stop complaining about teachers....My goodness, if they are off on summers, and are getting paid the big bucks....well, then go be a teacher yourself instead of complaining about them!!! By the looks of the retirements I saw the other day, there are plenty open positions for next school year.
I keep heard the old song...well they have off all summer. Do the math, if a teacher puts in two hours at home doing lesson plans and grading papers each night (I know many that do that and more). That equates to over nine additional weeks a year. Summer break is only eight weeks for teacher (which is usually taken up by required advanced studies). So when you look at the total picture, most teachers work 53+ eight hr. weeks a year. How many of you do that?
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