Charter schools are a success because they can easily promote good teachers and get rid of the bad ones. They aren’t constrained by union contracts and collective bargaining. Well, the unions can’t have that, and since they haven’t been able to rid the world of charter schools it’s on to Plan B – take them over.
According to The Washington Times, they’re already starting the process in Minnesota.
Unions correctly view charter schools as a threat to their stranglehold over public education and the tax dollars that come with it. Unions have denounced charter schools for “skimming” off the best students from the public schools, and they have sued school districts that introduce charter schools. Unions have tried to block or repeal charter school laws, and they’ve tried to limit the number of charter schools allowed by states.
But in Minnesota, the teachers unions are moving in a new direction. State officials recently have given the Minnesota Guild of Charter Schools, an organization created by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT), the right to authorize charter schools.
Supporters of the MFT move claim that authorizers of charter schools do not run the schools directly. That is technically true, though authorizers “oversee the administrators and school boards that handle day-to-day operations of a charter school,” according to a report by Minnesota Public Radio. In addition, “Authorizers are also primary decision makers on which schools to sponsor.”
The prospect of union-authorized charter schools disturbs many observers, who predict it will lead to conflict. A report sponsored in part by the Progressive Policy Institute summarized the source of the hostility between the two sides:
“Unions believe in professionalism through clearly defined roles, rights and responsibilities for teachers. Charter school leaders equate this vision of professionalism with resistance to change and protection of unfit teachers. Charter leaders believe in competition and entrepreneurialism. Union leaders equate these ideas with indifference to disadvantaged students and treatment of teachers as commodities.”
Read the whole thing. If the unions get there way on this there’s really no reason to have charter schools, they won’t be any different than the failed public schools.
Update: Linked by Lady Liberty – thanks!
Tags: charter schools, unions
Newotto of the USA: “If it works, kill it”
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Sorry, meant “new motto”
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Charter schools are the answer to a lot of the current problems in our school systems. The unions are the problem! Unions will ruin charter schools just like they did public schools!
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[...] Win: Official State of Wisconsin Study Confirms Success of School Choice and here come the attacks: Unions Set Sights on Charter Schools but it’s about the [...]
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“Unions believe in professionalism through clearly defined roles, rights and responsibilities for teachers.”
No, unions [i.e. union leaders] believe in cornering the market (a.k.a. crony capitalism) to continually increase their revenue. They are guided more by profit than nearly all businesses dealing in commerce.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I would beware of charter schools myself. They are the solution the Elites are presented to their horribly failing public schools. Remember the Hegelian dialectic of problem-reaction-solution.
Charlotte Iserbyt, Department of Education whistleblower, former Policy Chief inside the US Dept of Ed under Reagan warns about charter schools and federally funded education in general here:
http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/MomsPDFs/Death%20of%20FreeWill_12_11_2010.pdf
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