The Professor's Notes

I attended (and presented at) my second Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium at Penn State.  I had the privilege to meet (and add to my twitter stream) many new people, some of whom pointed out they were the “cool kids” (and I won’t deny it! A real hoot!)

A blog entry about my presentation was posted quickly, and it is a fair summary.  They recorded it, and I will make it available on here as a podcast for those interested.

My brother and I also did a video interview, but that hasn’t shown up online yet, but when it does, I am sure we both will cross-post that as well.

Let me know what you think!

Wow. With only 9 hours before the school day started, the teacher union and the school board have reached an agreement, and “averted the strike.”

I don’t know about you, but I think this was a bit inconsiderate. It’s one thing to put everyone out and call a (trivial, no more than 3 day) strike. But it’s another to, at the 11th hour, cancel the strike, and tell everyone that they are expected to report “as normal” the next day.

One would think that they would have the courtesy to at least “let them off” for a day.

So a revision of winners and losers.  The BIG LOSERS here are the students, and the parents.  But then again, we knew that one going in.

Do you think the teachers will be lenient if homework isn’t done?

Yesterday I wrote an assessment of who I thought would be the winners and losers.  At the time, I believed that the teachers would be the big winners.  I have reconsidered.

If this were a real  strike, then they would emerge the winner. But with a 3 day strike cap, there are only losers.

I say “if this were a real strike” because since the  state has apparently put a 3 day time limit on the strike, the teachers have simply extended the school year.  Barring a “work slow-down/stoppage” or a “sick-out” by the teachers, there will be no real impact other than extending the school year.

Knowing that the strike will end in three days, the school board must simply wait.  At the end of three days, I can imagine the school board starting the next meeting with “Did you enjoy your vacation? Do you have anything else? Are you willing to accept our contract now?”

And before I wrap up, I wanted to remind everyone that the biggest losers are the parents, and students.  The local media has been reporting many “personal impact” stories. Parents are upset because they have had to scramble for childcare.  In the local paper, the Patriot-News, one mother is quoted as saying

“I’m angry about the strike,” said Amy Lavarto, whose three children go to Sporting Hill Elementary School. “I only make minimum wage, and I have to work. I will have to find day care for my children, which is an expense I don’t need.”

While more poignantly, a father expresses his distress over the crisis exacerbated by the teachers’ strike

Jim Perry is to drive his wife to a Philadelphia hospital for brain surgery Thursday morning.

He couldn’t care less about the contract fight between the Cumberland Valley teachers and school board. He doesn’t have time to read their proposals. He doesn’t have the luxury of considering whether Thursday’s planned teachers strike seems justified.

Whatever. Perry said he just needs school to stay open.

“The timing is horrible for me all the way around,” said Perry, whose sons attend Silver Spring Elementary and Eagle View Middle schools.

So, we have parents as losers.

I received an email from a support group for a CVHS sports team.  In that email, the coach of the team wrote

As you all probably know, the Cumberland Valley Education Association was forced to initiate a teacher strike.  It is with great disappointment that I have to announce that I can not work with our outstanding children until a contract has been accepted.  To the best of my efforts I encourage all our young student-athletes to fight for what is right and fair.  That is simply all that I am currently attempting and asking for.

Regardless of my opinion concerning the merits of the strike, I am concerned at the tone put forward in the email.  There is a complete lack of acceptance of responsibility for the actions of the teachers, coming from a teacher!  The CVEA (union) was not “forced” to initiate the strike.  The union chose to reject the latest offer.  Perhaps a correct decision, but a decision on their part.  The union then chose to strike.

Also, since it is up to the coaches and advisors to decide whether or not to continue with their sporting activities, The coach could work with the players.  The school board in the “media alert” specifically wrote “Continuance of athletic events and extracurricular activities are at the discretion of coaches and advisors.” He chooses not to, instead choosing to honor the strike and the picket line.

I understand supporting one’s union.  I really do.  I just ask that we all accept that our actions are a result of our choices that we make.

Stand up.

Take ownership of your own decisions.

THAT is perhaps the best lesson we can teach our kids during times like these.

Let’s be fair here. Teachers deserve more pay. Okay. Here in the Cumberland Valley School District, The school board made several reasonable (and some would say, beyond reasonable) offers. Higher than COLA pay raises. Lower than average health care costs with better than average benefits. Making the pay raises retroactive. The School Board seems to know the meaning of the word “negotiate.”

What have the teachers offered as compromise? From all reports, the teachers’ union has simply dug in their heels, and tried to convince the populace that the school board is failing to give them a pay raise.

Who wins, and who loses on a strike?

THE WINNERS:

Teachers think they will win, obviously. They have nothing to lose. They strike, they come back and teach, and even if they now accept the latest offer they get their full 9 months of pay (with a bonus check–remember the retroactive bit?)

The school board may or may not meet the (un-reported) demands of the teacher’s union. But regardless, the school board doesn’t “lose” anything.

THE LOSERS:

The students. They lose, because they have a loss of continuity in their education plan. They lose because for months now, teachers have been fostering a “hostile learning environment” keeping the students (and parents) wondering if, in 48 hours, there would be a strike. On top of that, at least one teacher told his students that, if there was a strike, he would be sending a “work packet” home for them to complete during the strike. In addition, they lose because any plans they may have had for a summer (including summer jobs, to help them earn money for, among other things, college) have to be adjusted.

The parents: For those parents of young children that work, there will be an increased cost either through lost wages, or increased childcare costs. What about those parents that can’t afford the additional costs of childcare? Well–they can just stay home from work, right? So for a few, the choice is either pay for more childcare, or lose income. Additionally, parents may have had plans for summer “break.” Imagine a job where you have to request time off for vacation, and schedule it in advance. You know those jobs–the ones where you work 12 months a year?

The taxpayers: Regardless of the final outcome, it is guaranteed that taxpayers will be paying teachers more money to teach. This is a burden that taxpayers are willing to reasonably carry to provide a good education for the children in the community. I suspect though that taxpayers are keenly aware of what is reasonable, and what is unreasonable. It would seem to me at least that unreasonable is a teachers’ union that fails to negotiate. Of course, a “double whammy” exists for the parents, here. They have the burden of increased child-care costs, only to be rewarded with an (undoubtedly) increased tax burden.

One final thought: The teachers don’t “lose” anything here. There is no cost to them for striking. In most strikes, the unions have to balance the near-term lost wages with the long term gains. They must also consider the lost good-will with their customers who may well choose to go elsewhere with their shopping dollars. In this case, students are required, by law, to attend school. The teachers will come back and teach the remaining class days–and get paid for a full year (did I mention the “bonus check” due to retroactive pay?) The teachers essentially get to hold everyone (especially students) hostage–to achieve not a “fair” contract, but one that is “over the top.”

The Teachers Union. Unreasonable. Uncompromising. Unsupportable.

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 The alert reader has no doubt heard and read stories about the US Air Force’s selection of the next air refueling aircraft, or “Tanker.”  In what to many was a surprise move, the Air Force selected the Northrup Grumman/AEDS (Airbus) proposal rather than the Boeing proposal.  And, not surprisingly, Boeing has objected to losing what had been a “lock” for them for over 50 years.¹  What is surprising, however, are the arguments we are beginning to hear.

One would expect to read that Boeing lost the contract despite being the better aircraft.  That, somehow, the AF overlooked key performance characteristics of the aircraft.  That, perhaps, politics came in to play to select an inferior product.  But no. Read the rest of this entry »