NEA and the state locals were also a good source of materials, or used to be before the internet, and provided scholarship money. I never joined the AFT,the union, because they were a little too militant for me at the time. Steve, I know we talked about this before. I'm sure the KNEA would be happy to explain themselves to you and explain their mission. I hope your teachers are KNEA members!
Unfortunately, I think that this issue of the bad teachers in 283 should probably not be hijacked. Please start a separate thread about the teachers unions and leave this one devoted to the welfare of the students of USD 283. I know that conversations normally ebb and flow through many subjects, but this is much too important an issue to the children of Elk County to allow the subject to be changed. Sorry----- :-\
Well, it's just my personal opinion, but I would not encourage any teacher to join the NEA.
I think it is relevant that only one Elk Valley teacher is in the NEA. Does this reflect that only one is qualified to join? Is it a matter of finances ( the teachers are paid so little they dont want to waste money on the union) or is it a matter of philosophy/politics ( they dont believe in the tenets of the organization). If the community is going to stand up for the school they need to know this and know the reasons.
Lack of qualified teachers who could join the organization would be a concern and they want to address the problem of qualified teachers.
I don't know any of the teachers at Elk Valley, but might it be a matter of being local citizens rather than just living there because that is where the job is. Or maybe a matter of geographical location? How far away is the nearest NEA site? Just how much help would it be to a teacher at Elk Valley in keeping his job or in helping teachers negotiate with the school board? For that matter, how many West Elk teachers belong to the NEA?
Proudparent says there is only one teacher in the NEA. There would be no close site for the NEA. It is a national organization. KNEA would likely be in Topeka.
The point is that if there are no teachers but one qualified to join NEA, then the board has a pattern of hiring unqualified teachers: ie those that don't have a degree in education and those that do not qualify for a full time, real teaching license.
I think it is truly up to the teachers themselves to join. I think that West Elk has some members. I know when I teached I was a member of the KNEA. It was something like 100.00 I think and its a yearly fee if I am wrong. I don't see what could be the problem with being members. But that is my opinion. I used them when I lost my job, they looked into the matter to help find if things were on the up and up. Just stating my opinion.
Quote from: angtown3 on October 25, 2010, 06:25:23 AM
I don't see what being a member of NEA has to do with the problem. They wouldn't support this teacher calling the kids names nor would they support him teaching without a valide license. And why is it so bad to be a member of the NEA?
Because once you get bad teachers in, they make it impossible to get them out. Got a nephew that i took care of for a year. He went to the local public school and when i refused to drug him with the drug of choice of schools, one teacher kept failing him. called several meetings with her to review the tests, and i looked the tests over and when i scored them he passed. The answers were right. she refused to reverse the scores, so i called a meeting with the admin. She still refused to reverse the scores so i called superintendent and brought her up to him. She sat right there and told us that she didn't like him and that unless we drugged him with ritalin that she didn't want to deal with the ADHD. I told her that she would do her job and do it right and fair, or leave one or the other. She sat right there and stated that she had 1 year to retirement and she was doing as little as possible. Had her lawyers from the NEA right there. I looked at the super and told him he needed to clean house and fire her, pension or no pension she was a detriment to education as well as a leach on public monies. He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her lawyers and said his hands were tied.
THERE Is no reason for the NEA. IF a teacher does her job and a good job she should keep her job. IF a teacher is bad, they should lose their jobs. NO UNION should EVER be involved in our childrens education whatsoever. THey are absolutely corrupt.
Quote from: angtown3 on October 25, 2010, 06:32:02 AM
I think it is truly up to the teachers themselves to join. I think that West Elk has some members. I know when I teached I was a member of the KNEA. It was something like 100.00 I think and its a yearly fee if I am wrong. I don't see what could be the problem with being members. But that is my opinion. I used them when I lost my job, they looked into the matter to help find if things were on the up and up. Just stating my opinion.
It is and should be every teacher's right to organize despite what the detractors of the unions might say. They are a useful tool that helps to improve the livelihood of their members. We should not forget the many things that they have done to improve lives for workers.
Quote from: jerry wagner on October 25, 2010, 08:56:28 AM
It is and should be every teacher's right to organize despite what the detractors of the unions might say. They are a useful tool that helps to improve the livelihood of their members. We should not forget the many things that they have done to improve lives for workers.
Oh please ..... tell that to the folks on the picket lines in wichita while their union reps are partying in vegas. Only difference between a union and a mafia is that the unions are legal. SHoot, just look at tsa. They are a bunch of unqualified, lazy can't get a job anywhere else cause they're worthless. So give em a govt job and unionize and they are in for life.
Unions served a purpose 100 years ago. They no longer serve any purpose but to suck a company dry of any resources or capital it needs to expand and thrive. I love the policy of most us companies, they tell you they are a non union shop and they keep it that way. Anyone that talks union finds themselves unemployed
I talked to an active teacher friend. NEA was $166.00 for this year. KNEA would be less than that I think.The mission statements for both NEA and KNEA are easily found on the Internet...tells all about what they do ,what is available, such as liability and life insurance teaching resources, etc. There used to be news letter according to one's speciality.One for classroom teachers, special ed, librarians etc. There was a time when they were wonderful clearing houses for "stuff" to teach with, such as kits and units from National Geographic, Scientific American, Hartford Insurance (fire safety) and many others. I suspect most of that is available on line now. Yes, they do lobby for good teaching conditions...safety, class size, pay and all that. As far as I know joining is optional in any state.
Steve, you told us about him before. Whatever became of him? She surely wasn't his only teacher. Some day I'll tell you about the little boy I had who was very hyperactive, anti social and destructive before they had names for it. None of the teachers wanted him because he was a reputation breaker and his parents were tough to work with...In the opposite way! They wanted him sedated at home because they couldn't handle him but wanted him off the meds at school. The other kids' parents' complained about him constantly because he couldn't control himself and kicked and hit the other kids no matter where they were, lunch, gym, recess, classes, you name it. But that's another story.
The fee of $166 would be a lot for a teacher making low pay. This may be one reason the teachers don't join. Parents really need to know the details of what is going on with the teachers in order to support them and to make a better school. If teachers feel supported, they will do a better job.
Very true. It's hard on a teacher who gets a child whose parents have a reputation of being impossible to deal with, just as the opposite is true. Neither situation puts the child first as it should be.
I always felt bad for Steve R. because he was very bright, but had all those emotional and developmental issues that made every school day a huge challenge. When he was there, there was never an easy laid back day. He knew it, I knew it and the whole class knew it. One key I finally found was music lessons of all things. Knowing how he was, you would have never thought he could sit still for an instrument lesson. But somehow the mental wiring is different. With the music teacher's patience and my encouragement he began to learn the baritone horn. In the spring he was good enough on some simple songs to join the local drum and bugle corp and loved it. He fought his own demons to stay in line, learn the music, practice correctly without getting too frustrated and finally got to march in a parade as part of the group. He was still hyperactive but fought it himself and really tried because he knew, no nonsense or no band. They moved away a year or so later. That was a very long time ago and I always wondered how he turned out.
Diane, I have been in many, many special ed meetings and I know this to be true. Sometimes the parents are intractible. Also I have seen teachers and administrators just insisting that the child is not mentally disordered. The reason? They haven't had a meeting to decide that!
Many things that go on are completely unreasonable.
Well, I don't really feel that KNEA is that bad. If as a teacher the school is doing you wrong, you have a right to fight for your job. The KNEA is there to help. I think that tenure the teachers worse nightmare if you ask me. Once teachers are tenured at the school that they teach at, schools really have to have a case against them, otherwise your stuck with them. I never was tenured and don't think it would matter to me. If you truly love your job as a teacher, tenure doesn't mean a thing. You do your job and enjoy it!
Steve, I do not think that the district that your nephew was in handled that situation right. Now there are so many more laws and regulations that must be followed. And it's up to the parents/guardians to decide about the medicine part, I think. I am going back to school to get my masters in special education and am not sure about a school forsing meds on students. I have a very hyper 2nd grader that has a hard time staying on task. I do worry that they will want to medicate her, but I know of different things that I can try to help on task time. So, Steve I feel that the teacher that your nephew had didn't really like their job!
I don't think meds are the first thing that people jump to as much as before. I know some cases where the families of other children demanded the hyper child be medicated so their own child could have some uninterrupted class time. Needless to say decisions were not based on that, but the parents did have a point. Some parents demanded that their child not be put in the same class with the problem child. Very sad situation. Trying to limit over stimulation, such as a having a place in the room that has limited posters on the walls etc. sometimes helps. In Steve's case I was able to put his desk far enough from the rest that I marked out an area around the desk with masking tape. In that area he could stand, walk around his desk, lean on his desk to do his work or read or whatever when he just had to move. He knew as long as he was quiet he was free to move around that space and would be in huge trouble with me if he left that place to go bother anyone else. He knew he had a problem, as did the rest of the class, so we all tried to work together on it. I tried so hard to catch him on a good day so I could compliment him. The poor kid got critized so much that he really need to hear something positive once in awhile.
Angie, what is your daughters attention span time? Does limiting distractions work for her? Frankly, too many kids get labeled hyperactive when that really isn't the problem. Some are just "overly social" and want to interact with the other kids instead of sticking to their classwork. I'll bet the classes you are taking will help you find some good time on task exercises and things to try.
Medication should be the last resort. The parent or legal guardien has the legal right to say no to any doctor's order. Schools never have the legal right to dictate about medication. The school personnel can try their best to manipulate the situation, but they have no legal rights whatsoever to make a child take medication.
There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for there to be teachers unions. Nor is there any reason for k-12 teachers to get tenure.
Can anyone give an update on what is happening in Longton?
Waiting and watching
thanks
OK, people...Time for some sanity on this subject. First of all, the only thing that being a member of NEA does it gives you free legal advice/representation when you are unjustly accused of something as an educator...And don't ANYONE sit there and try to state that parents don't do that...It's an outright lie if you try to claim that. Secondly...The only thing that tenure guarantees an educator is that they will be given due process...It is absolutely possible to get rid of a tenured teacher...It happens all the time. The only thing that tenure makes the district do is have to give the educator not only the reason for why they are deficient but also the chance to remedy their actions/methods. When it is documented that the teacher still has not managed to remedy what is wrong, then they are fired. If you have administrators that are making the claim that their hands are tied, that's a falsehood. It just simply means that they are unwilling to do the work necessary to remove the dead weight from their faculties.
They are afraid of lawsuits and all that goes along with legal action.
Quote from: angtown3 on October 25, 2010, 06:32:02 AM
I think it is truly up to the teachers themselves to join. I think that West Elk has some members. I know when I teached I was a member of the KNEA.
"when I teached"? ???
taught!!! Soooo, sorryyyyyy!!!!!!