Comments on: Don’t count out Measure L!

By: JR

JR — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:13:31 +0000

Harold,
One more thing, before you say that you pay taxes too. Just think about the idea of a person paying taxes from tax money they receive, and what it really means. It’s not money earned from profit, it’s money that has been earned by citizens and surrendered for public use. Public sector vs private sector are two different things with different rules and expectations. One is perpetually funded, and the other is not. It’s too bad we didn’t have some fiscal sanity because now we are circling the drain of history.

By: JR

JR — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:03:48 +0000

Harold,
Part of the problem as with all taxpayer supported public sector entities(it’s not their money)they are not very judicious about how they spend it(on both sides of the negotiating table). For decades upon decades the refrain was “spend all the money in the budget or we will not get allocated that high of a budget next time”. We have a pension tsunami heading our way because of such fiscal irresponsibility and greed. There is nothing two way street about any of these public sector employees negotiating with public sector employees(they have no skin in the game). In the private sector we perform services, make products, show results(no results no profits). We are guaranteed nothing, no due process, no performance,no pay, no job. Its about time to change things so nobody can get complacent.

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:45:24 +0000

JR, its called collective bargaining. The district and union work together to come to an agreement. Clearly, the district has power … they imposed a contract on us.

The rules for evaluation: bargained.
The rules for hire: not-bargained (district has lots of non-union charter school employees).
The rules for termination: bargained.

Its a two-way street.

By: JR

JR — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:17:51 +0000

Whowhy,

“teachers can not hire, evaluate, or fire other teachers. Administrators can”.

Ask yourself WHO sets the rules for hiring evaluation, and termination……. the answer you are looking for is: the union(aka teachers) sets down the rules. The children do not benefit from these ridiculous rules, the teachers do. Oakie is right, are you collectively a trade union or are you professionals? No one is saying admin does not have some blame, they do but the union ties their hands with all these provisions. I am getting a little tired of the arrogance, a substantial number of parents are college educated(myself included)and don’t appreciate my knowledge being questioned. For those parents that are not college educated but pay taxes, they still need to go out and earn the money day after day to pay those taxes that pay you. You need to show some gratitude and respect.

By: oakie

oakie — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:09:15 +0000

Whyohwhy? Says: “I try not to read these because so many of the people who post here probably have never taught as a public school teacher for a day in their life or else they would not be so rude to teachers and to the teachers unions.”

Well, I won’t respond about being rude to teachers, but I will to why be rude to teacher’s union. There is a difference. I’m a parent. And a taxpayer. That is why I have an opinion, and I think the ACTIONS of the teacher’s union stinks. They lobbied and won from the state politicians laws which make it impossible to use performance criteria to determine teacher compensation. That stinks. Compensation is based solely on YOS. That stinks. Layoffs are based solely on YOS. That stinks. They negotiate contracts to ensure that school districts are virtually unable to fire incompetent teachers. That stinks. It is the ACTIONS of the teacher’s unions that make them evil. These actions are, precisely, deleterious to the interests of the students.

“The claim that the unions do not support education shows that-who makes up the unions? The workers it supports…”

I don’t think of teachers as “workers.” I think of teachers as professionals. I think the actions of the unions are representative of people who think of themselves as workers, not professionals. I want my child taught by someone who acts like a professional, not a teamster.

By: Whyohwhy?

Whyohwhy? — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:53:17 +0000

I try not to read these because so many of the people who post here probably have never taught as a public school teacher for a day in their life or else they would not be so rude to teachers and to the teachers unions.

The claim that the unions do not support education shows that-who makes up the unions? The workers it supports-so in NEA/CTA/OEA teachers. So when the posters claim the union does not want to support the children the poster is claiming the hundreds of thousands of teachers who work in this state do not want to support the children they work with. Give me a break! If I did not like kids, if I did not want them to do well I would work elsewhere. It would be a horrible job if I did not like it and I am no masochist.

The teachers in Oakland are supposed to be evaluated every other year. If they are not it is not the union who is choosing not to do it. The union can not hire, evaluate, or fire a teacher. The administrators in Oakland can. If there are teachers in Oakland who need to be dealt with then deal with the teacher’s administrator rather than blow rude hot air about them on a website. I have worked it in schools where there were problems and I have seen other teachers evaluated and fired due to problems here in the city of Oakland. Fellow teachers do not want incompetent teachers teaching in the schools; but teachers can not hire, evaluate, or fire other teachers. Administrators can.

If you all are really so worried about the kids go volunteer in the schools in Oakland. Work to help rather than just wasting your time trying to insult people.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 06:13:13 +0000

#26 Are you saying Baytech Charter is run by the sharia as an infiltration strategy? Well then the US has nothing to worry about. These are some of the lamest individuals you have ever seen! Have you visited that school? Dumb is an understatement.

I worked as a sub and for an after school program while they were at the old site, and man! They are a joke.

Honestly, if they represent the Sharia; we have nothing to worry about. Yildis , the former director, would have done more damage by eating the competition! He’s huge!

By: JR

JR — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:44:14 +0000

Ms.J
You should be more accurate, that is an attack on “Bad”, and “substandard” teachers. I hope that is perfectly clear. I have a lot of good friends who are very fine teachers, some are even great. We are very fortunate to have them. So when you say attack remember… context….context….context.

By: JR

JR — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:16:24 +0000

Just so everyone knows, I voted yes on taxes for schools, because the kids need it, and most teachers deserve the help.

By: The Boss

The Boss — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:13:07 +0000

OT -

No one “hates” teachers. That’s not the problem. People are concerned about the work rules that have come out of union negotiations — stuff like tenure after 2 or 3 years. I still don’t even understand why a 1st grade teacher needs tenure.

And, I think most people realize that school quality largely follows demographics. That’s why Oakland schools have improved of late — it’s gentrification.

People are tired of being pushed around by public-employee unions. They realize the same thing you appear to realize — namely that there is an element of self-dealing when a union spends millions to convince voters to pay members of that very union more money.