🚀 go-pugleaf

Michael Maser wrote:

>In this and other articles in Teacher, (and, apparently, in an
>upcoming media campaign) the rise of Charter schools is viewed by
>the teacher�s union and defenders of �public� education as a plague
>on the house of democracy, a position as reactionary as it is
>ironic.

I also find ironic:

-Teachers are being told not to educate themselves about this issue (Charter
schools) but rather, blindly accept the dictates of their union.

-Teachers who disagree with union policy, and do so publicly, are probably
subject to the same fate as Joan Smallwood.  Small wonder we hear so little
from 'the ranks'.

-Teachers who exist within, and accept, the all-pervasive dictates of
union membership are, in turn, charged with preparing children for their
roles as citizens in a democracy.  'Government that tells you how to think'
and 'an educated population' are surely contradictory goals?  It would seem
that a paradox exists.

-Propaganda, as a means to solving the current public education crisis?  Do
they really believe that everyone who has moved their children out of the
public education system, or who is currently expressing legitimate concerns
about the public education system, will simply accept their word that
"everything is great and the  *real* problem is all this malcontent,
uninformed criticism that is stirring up the masses"?  (Nuala Beck talks
about the 'fantasy of the fleshwound' - a reference to Monty Python's Holy
Grail- the unions are also deluded by the 'fantasy of the fleshwound' if
they think that promoting the status quo is the answer to the serious
problems plaguing an outdated system that serves nobody well, EXCEPT for
the unions)

-Scientific research appears to be given very little credence.(there is alot
of scientifically gathered evidence to support the success of both choice
and charter schools) Statistics are dismissed, if they don't support the
hypothesis (everything is great). Undismissable evidence is blamed on
others (ie. a 20% functionally illiterate rate at the grade 12 level is
probably the fault of parents who didn't 'instill a love of reading in
their children')

>Reactionary because the articles, unreferenced for the most part,
>show off how testy and zealous this union�s executive is over
>maintaining the status quo in public education. Ironic because in

Who has the most to lose in a system that includes charter schools?  Union
monopolies. (I'd like to add that charter schools can unionize, but only
after they are set up, BCTF membership would NOT be mandatory)

Further:

Teachers unions in the States fought frantically against their inception.
They now admit they were wrong.  Charter schools are empowering to EVERYONE
including teachers.

The Charter school conference next weekend (Nov. 3rd and 4th) is well worth
the time and effort to attend.  I urge educators to make the effort.

Katherine