I tell you what, Romney keeps giving me reasons not to vote for him. Here is one more reason not to vote for him in my book.
"I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city's public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education," Romney said in a statement Monday morning.
Romney
I am pretty sure that if you can't give teachers a good contract you wont keep good teachers. If you don't have good teachers your students will not learn. Isn't having good quality teachers that are appreciated important in education? I think so. Therefore even though there was a walk out from Chicago teachers, it wasn't because they were trying to not teach students, or have a poor work ethic, or turn their backs on them, but ultimately it is to have it be a good experience for them as teachers, and also for their students. If teachers are not loving their jobs, then students will not learn-period!
Romney keeps giving me reasons not to vote for him, but to vote against him.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to give you another perspective.... I live in Chicago. The teachers here are mad because the school day was lengthened and they don't feel that the raise they got was enough. The problem here is that there is no money. I don't think that anyone here thinks inner city school teachers are overpaid or undeserving, but the union is behaving as if they have no idea that there is a crappy economy and that the city is already $600 million in the hole. Where is the city going to get the money for the 20 percent raise the teachers want?! The kids they teach are very likely to end up in gangs or on drugs. These kids do NOT need to be out of school. If these teachers don't want to do their jobs, they need to quit, not strike. This is not about the kids and the leadership here having to stand up to them is actually democrats, so clearly the dems are not on board with the union either. You are welcome not to vote for Romney, but I thought you should know a little more about this situation. It is bad all around. There is no money and most of the people out here think the union is acting badly. And I was a teacher for 7 years, so that is my perspective.
I agree that if teachers don't want to be there, they shouldn't. I see that it was a hard situation on Chicago. Both sides could have done more before this step, but that does not mean the teachers are out and out wrong in all aspects of this. I am a teacher too. I have just started my 9th year of teaching and am a proud member of my local association. Often the school board, state etc. give teachers a raw deal. For example one of the local districts in my state has taken away any bargaining at all and told the teachers that they had to sign the contract and just do whatever was at the whim of the school board. I understand the economy is awful. I have been at the same pay grade for 4 or 5 years with no improvement. We do not get paid extra anymore for masters degrees or other professional development because of it. I know that school board members try to find ways to pay for things. I get that! I am still trying to go the extra mile by taking classes and finishing my masters despite this. The United States is moving to a place where they do not appreciate educators. It has always been a little like this. I chose this profession anyway because I want to make a difference. I come from a family of educators--in just my immediate family there are 7 including me. I know that its hard on families when teachers strike. This was the first time they have done this in a quarter century in Chicago. Its not like they do it daily. This is a very strong way to get their ideas out. I only remember one when I was a student in the 80s in Utah. Right now my district is in the process of mediation for our contract. I am sure the local Chicago association tried other options before this came out. This I am sure was not the first choice. This is a way that parents will be upset and maybe they will try to do something about it not just for this year, but for the future. I am sure there will be some sort of compromise. The association maybe should have done some more before giving into this option. But I am sure they felt this was their only option. Teachers want to do the best for their students but they shouldn't at the expense to themselves and their families.
ReplyDeleteThe fundamental problem really is that if teachers were really valued the country would put its money where its mouth is. They value other professions more and that is okay, but teachers sometimes have to look out for themselves and by doing that they are also looking out for their students.
As a Mormon, I don't love Romney. He keeps giving me reasons not to vote for him not the other way around. It could be worse I guess. We could have someone far left of right. An earlier blog post was about how Mitt Romney said very racist comments about the Palestinians. The more I know about him, I become less impressed.
Hey Rachel. I happened upon your blog through a link on Megan Stutz's. It was fun to read through some of your posts of what you're up to!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that history was never my subject growing up, and so I do not follow politics as well as I should. For whatever reason, this election I have felt very different. I have this feeling that won't go away that I need to know the candidates and take this election very seriously.
I love what you said to your students about voting. I think voting always comes down to what is most important to you. If legalizing gay marriage is the most important issue to a person, then he/she will vote for Obama. A woman may choose a candidate based on his policies toward abortion. Etc., etc. The MOST important issues to me are my concerns for the state of the economy and the protection of marriage and unborn children. If the MOST important issues to you are a "racist" comment and Romney's opinion on Chicago teachers, then you'll want to vote for Obama.
I found the following commentary about the movie 2016 very eye-opening, and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9L-lK5QBPk
I appreciate your comments! The truth is there is more to my voting other than those of what I said, but there is more to it then Romney being Mormon. I really am very middle of the road politically. I see somethings that tend to be more on the republican standpoint and some that tend to be on the democrat standpoint. One of the biggest issues for me is Education and frankly Romney is not the candidate for that. I wrote what I did about the Chicago teachers because it just shows that Romney doesn't really understand public education and that scares me because I am a public teacher. His comments about Israel and Palestine show me that he doesn't get international relations. That too is important to me because I have lived abroad and honestly our nation needs good relationships with the world. I think that we do need to help people other than the rich and I don't get that from Romney. The middle class is important and I don't feel that as a priority from Romney. I don't love Obama and he has done things I don't agree with, but I hate to say it, I don't love Romney either. I wish I could be part of this bandwagon and agree with my neighbors, my church members etc. But I have a right to choose someone else. I don't feel bad about my choice, and won't. There have been many Mormon leaders who are democrat despite the abortion issue. I wish they didn't have that part of their platform, but they do and sometimes you have to look at other issues other than that. I have thought through the issues, more than just what I wrote. I wrote what I did because that pushed me over the edge. I was very upset! Honestly as Mormon, I expect more from him then what he is giving me, my country and the future.
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