Comments on: Governor has teachers where he wants them

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:27:59 +0000

#10 The teacheres, in the classroom, should clearly be stopped. By the state/people/taxpayers they work for.

Entirely up to the businesses.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 03:41:27 +0000

I assumed his point was that the teachers should not have publicized their political leanings, so I thought I was agreeing with Mr. Van Velzer, do you think he meant something else?

I would think in a nation so clearly divided it would not take a lot of gray matter to know that political signs might cost any business customers, good will, respect…you know, business?

No one should stop either the teachers or the business, I just think they should both refrain. Is my opinion not allowed on the subject?

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 02:23:43 +0000

#7 “Do you know that the signs were not a class decision?”

What odds would you like, Mrs. Saunders? (Were they praying?).

“I will agree that teachers and business alike should not publicize their own political leanings,…”

1. Who are you agreeing with?
2. Why should businesses “not publicize their own political leanings”?
3. Who should stop them?

Thank you.

By: gdad

gdad — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:48:04 +0000

Alan, there IS NO TEACHER’S UNION in Virginia.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:32:47 +0000

Do you know that the signs were not a class decision? Do you disagree with school classes having political opinions? I will agree that teachers and business alike should not publicize their own political leanings, but that is hardly indicative of any union protecting teachers. Like most right wing memes, it is what is said, 100 times more often than what is done. And your subjective opinion on what a “bad teacher” is might not mean the same thing to an objective observer.

Again, the political machinations of school boards, and the hierarchy of government intrusion are the biggest hindrance to effective schools, even bigger than funding if truth be told. Seldom does money come without political strings attached and believe it or not, being an ardent Democrat means little in a conservative run state, district and locality.

Certainly and absolutely there is no “teachers union” protecting teachers, good or bad, in Virginia.

By: Bill Van Velzer

Bill Van Velzer — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 07:09:09 +0000

I’ll second that, Jim. I teach an evening class at a local high school, and I was struck by how many pro-Obama signs there were in classroom windows. Most of the signs were VEA-generated flyers. Those of us who don’t share these views were not about to voice our opinions about the campaign or the signs. There is much, much more to this story, but I’ll leave it at that. Tyranny? In America? Why, that’s just plain crazy…right?

By: Joe Hokie

Joe Hokie — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:52:07 +0000

Yes, there are teachers who shouldn’t be in a classroom, but dealing with them should be a function of the local school system administration and school board — not politicians in Richmond. Of course, if teachers were paid like the professionals they are, then perhaps more people would be attracted to the profession to give school boards a wider choice when hiring teachers. But that would require investing more money into public schools instead of trying to reduce and weasel out of the state’s responsibility.

I’d also like to see some documentation of how “the teachers’ union” in Virginia is “protecting” bad teachers. I suspect that if you checked with folks in the association (teachers and other public employees are not allowed to unionize in Virginia), they would agree that “bad” teachers are not good for their profession and should be removed — using appropriate methods on a local level, not under the direction of politicians who aren’t really interested in public education.

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:12:31 +0000

#3 “Education is no place for politics but it obviously is rife with it.”

Could not agree more, Mrs. Saunders.

Are you referring to the incestuous relationship between the states education associations, here the VEA, the NEA and (mostly) democratic lawmakers?

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:40:27 +0000

I don’t think anyone can claim there are no “bad teachers” but there are mechanisms for removing a teacher who is not effective, tenure or not. I also do not think anyone can credibly deny the deliberate injection of politics and political meddling in the education system by folks who despise it and want those tax dollars for private schools. Just as they are doing in government, they have waged and enacted changes that have crippled instead of helped school systems. Education is no place for politics but it obviously is rife with it.

At worst, a child is with a “bad teacher” for one school year. It is hardly world altering; more like a bump in the road for most kids. Even if they simply assign stuff from the textbook, the children are still learning. I subbed for one of those burnt out “bad teachers” several times and she had some of the brightest kids I had seen on that grade level and they knew the material. This is also what parents are for IMO.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:16:01 +0000

Are you suggesting there are no bad teachers? In my school district bad teachers are simply transferred to a different school after many parents and students complain. I know of one teacher that has taught math at one school, English at another, science at a third – her class is a shambles with students correcting her many mistakes. Because of the antiquated tenure system, the distinct cannot fire her so she is merely reassigned. The students are the losers and the taxpayers get shafted. Unfortunately there are no alternatives for most families who cannot afford private or home schools. School choice and/or vouchers would be one way out of this mess – but naturally the teachers’ union opposes this because they want to protect the bad teachers.