The Wonder (as in what the f) full (as in of it) WEA
Since T-rav’s girlfriend is going to be a teacher in Washington State, I started kicking around to try and find the state pay scale. Instead I found something better, the WEA Continuing Resolutions. Some things in it really bothered me. First was the specific section in direct violation of state law:
CR E-5 RIGHT TO STRIKE (RA-96)
The Washington Education Association believes that when local school directors and/or elected state legislative and executive officials fail to respond to the needs of students, educators, or support personnel; and when bargaining in good faith does not exist, it is the right of members of local affiliates to vote to authorize a strike.
The Association also believes its right to call upon WEA members to authorize a statewide strike when the state legislature and governor fail to adequately meet the needs of education.
However, RCW 41.56.120, titled PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING states:
“Right to strike not granted. Nothing contained in this chapter shall permit or grant any public employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his official duties.”
The next thing that bugged me was the things that have no business being the focus of a teacher organization. For example,
CR I-9 HEALTH CARE REFORM (RA-92, 03)
The Washington Education Association supports health care reform that is designed to control costs, ensure equitable access to comprehensive health care services including mental health parity for all, and fairly distributes the costs of health care throughout our society.
This is, sadly, a federal discussion right now. A state employee organization should not be worrying about this. Furthermore, their health care is already provided by the state. Perhaps if they worried more about doing their job, our children would be better education. More on that in a bit.
CR I-12 PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING (RA-04)
The Washington Education Association believes that elections are a public good, that our representatives should first and foremost be accountable to the people and their will, that support from voters, not ability to fundraise, should be the criteria by which a person should be judged fit to be a candidate for public office and that a system of public campaign financing should be enacted in Washington state to further these ends.
People that identified themselves as teachers contributed over $47,000 to the candidates for Governor in the 2004 election. Nearly $40,000 of it was donated to Democrats. Nearly $1,500 was donated by WEA employees to 2004 Gubernatorial candidates. None of it went to Republicans. While the disparity may indicated that a high majority of teachers and WEA employees think Democrats are the better candidates, why are their members contributing so much to these candidates if the important qualification is “not ability to fundraise”?
Additionally in 2004, WEA-PAC lobbyists spent over $150,000 in contributions. The Seattle Education Association spent another $21,000 in contributions. I wonder what the WEA would think of campaign finance reform that eliminated all PAC’s…
Next are the things that just really make me wonder. The WEA should be concerned, first and foremost, with the education of our children. I know they’re a union, so I know that their true purpose is to celebrate mediocrity. Find as many ways as possible to say they want education to improve but not support in any way any idea that may actually achieve that goal…Things like these.
CR A-6 STANDARDIZED TESTS (RA-85, 02)
The Washington Education Association believes standardized tests are acceptable when they meet the following criteria:
12. Test scores must not be used for school-to-school comparisons.
You’re joking right? What should be used to compare schools or the quality of the education they provide? The WEA doesn’t say.
CR D-5 NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION (RA-98)
The Washington Education Association supports the efforts of members to demonstrate excellence in teaching by obtaining National Board certification.
The Association also believes National Board certification should remain a voluntary process. It should not be used as criteria for continuing employment, state certification, renewal of state certification, evaluation, dismissal, or promotion. Members choosing not to participate will not be negatively impacted.
So our members should demonstrate excellence, but if they choose not to be excellent, that should not hurt them. The WEA talks a lot about quality education and quality learning environments, but this is the only place that they give specific criteria for quality teachers. Then they tell us that we really shouldn’t use it as criteria for anything related to the job…
CR D-8 TESTING OF CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES (RA-87, 95)
The Washington Education Association believes that testing must not be used for recertification of certificated personnel. The Association also believes that pencil and paper type tests must not be used as a condition of employment.
The WEA does not believe that its employees should be tested. For anything. Not for mastery of subject matter, which should be a job requirement. Not for teaching ability, which is a close second to subject mastery.
Once again, the WEA supports nothing that would actually get rid of bad teachers. It quickly becomes apparent that the teacher’s union is only concerned with keeping their membership base intact.
CR E-17 PROFESSIONAL SALARIES (RA-87, 01)
The Washington Education Association believes that the salary policy of any school system should be based on clearly defined factors which are applicable to salaries for all professional services and responsibilities.
Professional salary schedules for certificated employees must:
17. not be based on employee evaluation;
So the WEA doesn’t want objective standards such as teacher testing or national certifications to be used in teacher evaluations or salary planning. They don’t want salaries to be based on teacher evaluations. Since pay shouldn’t be based on employee evaluations, merit pay logically follows…
CR E-15 MERIT PAY (RA-85)
The Washington Education Association opposes merit pay as a basis for determining salary increases.
The WEA spends a lot of time spouting off to the voters that teacher pay needs to be increased. They say how important it is to retain good teachers. Maybe if they would lobby for things like merit pay the people would start supporting them and we could retain those good teachers. But the WEA wants bad teachers to be paid the same as good teachers.
Near the end of the document, the WEA starts to get real contradictory. Sections CR G-1 ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES and CR H-3 STUDENTS' RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM make statements such as, “The Washington Education Association believes that academic freedom is a professional right to investigate, research, publish, or teach any subject matter free of censorship.” They also make the statement, “The Association opposes any and all efforts to limit the availability of competing political ideas and beliefs peacefully presented.” And this, “The Association also believes in the right of students and teachers to have free access to information without regard to content.” And in section CR I-11 PROMOTION OF CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS, “The Association also supports programs and instruction that encourage individuals to seek greater understanding of other people's perspectives and experiences in an atmosphere of respect and dignity.” As to student academic freedom they state, “The Association also believes its affiliates should work to ensure that the students in the schools of the state of Washington have the right to:
1. study issues, which have political, economic, scientific, or social significance;
2. have free access to all relevant information including the materials that circulate freely in the community;
3. hear and assess in the classroom or in general assemblies student speakers with points of view that may be at variance with those of the majority of the citizens in the community;”
Then, in sections CR I-8 EXTREMIST GROUPS and CR I-10 INSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATION, they state “The Association opposes and condemns the philosophy and practices of extremist groups and their efforts to recruit young people in our schools,” and “The Washington Education Association opposes any participation in a program sponsored by or using facilities of an organization which denies membership to certain segments of our society on the basis of age, creed, disability, ethnic background, gender, marital status, national origin, political activities or beliefs, race, religion, sexual orientation, or size. The Association also opposes the action of affiliates who form any type of liaison with such organizations.”
First off, define extremist groups. Are Republicans extremists? Are Libertarians? Is the Washington State Cattlemen’s Association? Does the WEA think that students or teachers should not watch The Masters golf tournament because Augusta denies membership to women? What is their view on schools for the deaf or blind since they limit their enrollment to “certain segments of our society on the basis of…disability”? Would they be offended by the KKK coming to campus since they believe students have the right to “hear… speakers with points of view that may be at variance with those of the majority of the citizens in the community”? Since they oppose participation in a program sponsored by “an organization which denies membership… on the basis of… ethnic background”, would they refuse to participate in a program by the NAACP during Black History Month?
Do they really want academic freedom for teachers and students or only academic freedom that agrees with the views of the organization?
So what we have is an organization that openly advocates violation of the law, addresses issues that it has no organizational interest in, avoids responsibility or objective standards for its members, and advocates "freedom" as long as it agrees with their sensiblities. Will the WEA label itself an extremist group?
CR E-5 RIGHT TO STRIKE (RA-96)
The Washington Education Association believes that when local school directors and/or elected state legislative and executive officials fail to respond to the needs of students, educators, or support personnel; and when bargaining in good faith does not exist, it is the right of members of local affiliates to vote to authorize a strike.
The Association also believes its right to call upon WEA members to authorize a statewide strike when the state legislature and governor fail to adequately meet the needs of education.
However, RCW 41.56.120, titled PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING states:
“Right to strike not granted. Nothing contained in this chapter shall permit or grant any public employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his official duties.”
The next thing that bugged me was the things that have no business being the focus of a teacher organization. For example,
CR I-9 HEALTH CARE REFORM (RA-92, 03)
The Washington Education Association supports health care reform that is designed to control costs, ensure equitable access to comprehensive health care services including mental health parity for all, and fairly distributes the costs of health care throughout our society.
This is, sadly, a federal discussion right now. A state employee organization should not be worrying about this. Furthermore, their health care is already provided by the state. Perhaps if they worried more about doing their job, our children would be better education. More on that in a bit.
CR I-12 PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING (RA-04)
The Washington Education Association believes that elections are a public good, that our representatives should first and foremost be accountable to the people and their will, that support from voters, not ability to fundraise, should be the criteria by which a person should be judged fit to be a candidate for public office and that a system of public campaign financing should be enacted in Washington state to further these ends.
People that identified themselves as teachers contributed over $47,000 to the candidates for Governor in the 2004 election. Nearly $40,000 of it was donated to Democrats. Nearly $1,500 was donated by WEA employees to 2004 Gubernatorial candidates. None of it went to Republicans. While the disparity may indicated that a high majority of teachers and WEA employees think Democrats are the better candidates, why are their members contributing so much to these candidates if the important qualification is “not ability to fundraise”?
Additionally in 2004, WEA-PAC lobbyists spent over $150,000 in contributions. The Seattle Education Association spent another $21,000 in contributions. I wonder what the WEA would think of campaign finance reform that eliminated all PAC’s…
Next are the things that just really make me wonder. The WEA should be concerned, first and foremost, with the education of our children. I know they’re a union, so I know that their true purpose is to celebrate mediocrity. Find as many ways as possible to say they want education to improve but not support in any way any idea that may actually achieve that goal…Things like these.
CR A-6 STANDARDIZED TESTS (RA-85, 02)
The Washington Education Association believes standardized tests are acceptable when they meet the following criteria:
12. Test scores must not be used for school-to-school comparisons.
You’re joking right? What should be used to compare schools or the quality of the education they provide? The WEA doesn’t say.
CR D-5 NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION (RA-98)
The Washington Education Association supports the efforts of members to demonstrate excellence in teaching by obtaining National Board certification.
The Association also believes National Board certification should remain a voluntary process. It should not be used as criteria for continuing employment, state certification, renewal of state certification, evaluation, dismissal, or promotion. Members choosing not to participate will not be negatively impacted.
So our members should demonstrate excellence, but if they choose not to be excellent, that should not hurt them. The WEA talks a lot about quality education and quality learning environments, but this is the only place that they give specific criteria for quality teachers. Then they tell us that we really shouldn’t use it as criteria for anything related to the job…
CR D-8 TESTING OF CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES (RA-87, 95)
The Washington Education Association believes that testing must not be used for recertification of certificated personnel. The Association also believes that pencil and paper type tests must not be used as a condition of employment.
The WEA does not believe that its employees should be tested. For anything. Not for mastery of subject matter, which should be a job requirement. Not for teaching ability, which is a close second to subject mastery.
Once again, the WEA supports nothing that would actually get rid of bad teachers. It quickly becomes apparent that the teacher’s union is only concerned with keeping their membership base intact.
CR E-17 PROFESSIONAL SALARIES (RA-87, 01)
The Washington Education Association believes that the salary policy of any school system should be based on clearly defined factors which are applicable to salaries for all professional services and responsibilities.
Professional salary schedules for certificated employees must:
17. not be based on employee evaluation;
So the WEA doesn’t want objective standards such as teacher testing or national certifications to be used in teacher evaluations or salary planning. They don’t want salaries to be based on teacher evaluations. Since pay shouldn’t be based on employee evaluations, merit pay logically follows…
CR E-15 MERIT PAY (RA-85)
The Washington Education Association opposes merit pay as a basis for determining salary increases.
The WEA spends a lot of time spouting off to the voters that teacher pay needs to be increased. They say how important it is to retain good teachers. Maybe if they would lobby for things like merit pay the people would start supporting them and we could retain those good teachers. But the WEA wants bad teachers to be paid the same as good teachers.
Near the end of the document, the WEA starts to get real contradictory. Sections CR G-1 ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES and CR H-3 STUDENTS' RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM make statements such as, “The Washington Education Association believes that academic freedom is a professional right to investigate, research, publish, or teach any subject matter free of censorship.” They also make the statement, “The Association opposes any and all efforts to limit the availability of competing political ideas and beliefs peacefully presented.” And this, “The Association also believes in the right of students and teachers to have free access to information without regard to content.” And in section CR I-11 PROMOTION OF CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS, “The Association also supports programs and instruction that encourage individuals to seek greater understanding of other people's perspectives and experiences in an atmosphere of respect and dignity.” As to student academic freedom they state, “The Association also believes its affiliates should work to ensure that the students in the schools of the state of Washington have the right to:
1. study issues, which have political, economic, scientific, or social significance;
2. have free access to all relevant information including the materials that circulate freely in the community;
3. hear and assess in the classroom or in general assemblies student speakers with points of view that may be at variance with those of the majority of the citizens in the community;”
Then, in sections CR I-8 EXTREMIST GROUPS and CR I-10 INSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATION, they state “The Association opposes and condemns the philosophy and practices of extremist groups and their efforts to recruit young people in our schools,” and “The Washington Education Association opposes any participation in a program sponsored by or using facilities of an organization which denies membership to certain segments of our society on the basis of age, creed, disability, ethnic background, gender, marital status, national origin, political activities or beliefs, race, religion, sexual orientation, or size. The Association also opposes the action of affiliates who form any type of liaison with such organizations.”
First off, define extremist groups. Are Republicans extremists? Are Libertarians? Is the Washington State Cattlemen’s Association? Does the WEA think that students or teachers should not watch The Masters golf tournament because Augusta denies membership to women? What is their view on schools for the deaf or blind since they limit their enrollment to “certain segments of our society on the basis of…disability”? Would they be offended by the KKK coming to campus since they believe students have the right to “hear… speakers with points of view that may be at variance with those of the majority of the citizens in the community”? Since they oppose participation in a program sponsored by “an organization which denies membership… on the basis of… ethnic background”, would they refuse to participate in a program by the NAACP during Black History Month?
Do they really want academic freedom for teachers and students or only academic freedom that agrees with the views of the organization?
So what we have is an organization that openly advocates violation of the law, addresses issues that it has no organizational interest in, avoids responsibility or objective standards for its members, and advocates "freedom" as long as it agrees with their sensiblities. Will the WEA label itself an extremist group?
posted by Charlie Brown at 15.4.05
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