Of Unions and Ammendments

Here is a true illustration of the complexity of politics and the importance of not staking out a position and sticking to it. I wrote a guest opinion piece for the Bucks County Courier Times, and they had the audacity to print it. They hacked the flow to pieces in the middle and didn’t correct my typo, but other than that they got it right. Unfortunately, they didn’t read my mind and add the paragraph I would now add after considering conversations on the topic with my wife and father. The topic is teachers unions and contract negotiations. You can read what I thought last week here: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/opinion/guest/ This week I would add something. I’m not giving up on unions, but some boundaries do need to be set, whether by negotiation or by the big bad government. I write that Unions aren’t always right, and this is probably an understatement. Their mindless support of absolute tenure is more than an impediment, and needs to be checked. This can be done without destroying the union. You simply make it clear that teachers will be evaluated and can be fired for clear reasons and without byzantine rules. The State Government could do this. The Federal Government could do this. This could be included in contracts on a school system by school system basis. School board members aren’t the only ones who need a broader vision. Union leaders do too. They are hurting themselves by not giving in to common sense on issues like tenure. They are making themselves too easy to attack, and putting at risk generations of accomplishments that protect working Americans. Political dialogue and negotiation is dialogue and negotiation, and requires real participation from both sides. What I don’t make clear enough in my opinion piece, is that when it comes to education issues school boards and unions both need to rethink their positions. What I hope I make clear here is that these issue are complex and changing, and our opinions should be the same way.