Neshaminy is at war

Want to know what one of the main problems is in the stalled negotiations between the teachers and the school board in the Neshaminy School District? Take a look here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neshaminy-Info/343185782342. This is the facebook site of a former member of the school board. William O'Connor is only recently a former member, however. The site isn’t recent. The site has long been a place for folks to come together and vent about the impasse and mostly about the teachers union. So, a member of the school board, the body that is supposed to be operating the school district in the best interest of the community and employees (this includes teachers) has been running a facebook page (and blog: http://neshaminyinfo.blogspot.com/ ) that targets the teachers. What these sites really do is serves as a place for people to get together and get worked up. The way that they talk, it as if O’Connor and his main followers (there is a dedicated following that posts quite often) are engaged in a war with the teachers union. Many of the comments are insults (in the wake of this week’s strike announcement there were many personal attacks on Union leadership). Many are downright nasty, even if they aren’t personal insults. It does not sound like talk aimed at compromise or cooperation. It sounds like war. It is extremely unfortunate that a segment of the community feels as if it is at war with the teacher’s union, as if teacher’s are the enemy. Actually, it is this attitude that should be the enemy. The teachers and the board disagree about the way in which teachers should be compensated and the role they should play in decision making. Neither side is trying to hurt children. Teachers are still Americans. They are still just ordinary working people, even though they teach our children. They are still entitled to seek compensation they feel is fair. There is no reason that the focus shouldn’t be on the differences between the two sides and how to bridge them, rather than on who is wrong and how best to get the teachers. What we can do as a community is tell the folks who are making a war out of this that we disagree with them, and we want them to stop. That’s what I think, anyway. Take a look at the sites. Take a look at some of the comments I have pasted in below. See what you think. See if you think that what is important is insulting Louise Boyd; talking about what happened in the last strike in 1981 (this has no bearing on the issues now); venting about what went wrong in individual’s experiences in high school, many of which haven’t been in high school in quite some time; linking the teachers union to socialists and the President; trying to isolate the Teachers Union as completely separate from the teacher; insulting teachers; calling for teachers to be kept out of the school bathrooms when they are striking; calling for all teachers to be fired; answering arguments with insults; and attacking the timing of the announcement (yes Catholic schools were closed at the same time, but the timing of the strike is governed by state regulations and a million other considerations, and anyway what does the fact that Catholic schools are closing have to do with the merits of the plans submitted by the school board and the teachers union?). I don’t think this is constructive. I think we are in the midst of a battle. People are clearly taking sides. You don’t have to look at the posts here, just look at the signs on peoples lawns. I think it is a big problem. I think it is past time that we started acting like adults who are trying to solve a problem.

Here is a sampling of recent comments on the Neshaminy Info facebook page:

“Support for the board should only grow with this cowardly act.”

“Boyd is irrational and not above terrorizing this community and using our kids as pawns to reach their selfish objectives.”

“Folks FB is giving you all a front row seat to watching the inner workings of a teachers union, union bosses and groupthink. FB lets you go peak in the NFT window and see how they operate and how manipulated they are....it is fascinating to watch....”

“I wouldn't negotiate with terrorists, Rebecca. It sends the message that they will get what they want by acting out.”

“My BS detector just went off.”

“No negotiations while the nft is hurting our children”

“the cause of the strike is purely a vindictive nft ploy”

“Stay strong everyone! I say let's vote on getting rid of everyone and replace. The NFT wouldn't go for that because they know they would be out on the streets!”

“Let me rephrase Andy by no one contacting the board I mean no one that counts like taxpayers and parents. Teachers and their relatives are well,irrelevant to us now that they walked out! Actually the board does not represent your concerns so why email them anyway?”

“Please show up at the next Neshaminy School Board meeting, express your feelings about the strike or anything else, and support your 9 volunteer, honest, transparent and dedicated Board Directors. They stand unanimously together For The Kids!”

“I would NEVER take a job that forced me into a union. I totally agree that the kids are used as pawns. That's a disgrace.”

“You all are not striking against or picketing a business. You are affecting younger children who were getting ready for fluency testing … by being part of the strike they have aligned themselves against our children.”

“Let them strick nobody really cares. Teachers are so Stupid they are not qualified to teach by their actions. Remember actions speak louder than words.”

“Where can we get the I support neshaminy board signs?”

“Only a person ignorant of facts would post that residents who have been gouged for 20 years are jealous of NFTers.
Jeff people in the private sector can no longer afford our benefits and the cry babies benefits. Simple as that.”

“ Don't n"F"t with my kids!”

“Just saw LB on TV. she looks so purrrrrdy!!!!”

“WE all know Louise did this today because she didn't want attention drawn away from her.... maybe they should add a forced retirement ammendment .. like when you become an idiot, you lose your job.”

“I would fire all the teachers.”

“ Fire them all. Start over”