Disunion

Not a typical teacher's point of view:

If you haven’t heard, MPS and the Milwaukee Teacher’s Education Association (MTEA) are at an impasse in their current contract talks. Once again, Milwaukee teachers are working under an expired contract and no progress in negotiations is in site. It is very possible that teachers such as I will still be without a contract when it comes time to renew again after the 2010-11 school year.
You’re probably thinking, “Oh no, here goes another MPS teacher complaining again.” And to a point you’re right. I am going to complain. I’m going to complain about the MTEA’s insidious habit of fighting things simply for the sake of fighting.
The most egregious example of this arrived in the most recent batch of negotiations’ updates sent to teachers by the union in late November. In it the MTEA said,
“More Bad News: Some of the school board’s proposals were worse than previously offered. Examples: The board’s package does not include a raise. Instead the board’s team wants to set up a joint MPS/MTEA committee to study an alternative compensation system that would consider:
· Individual skills and knowledge
· Market incentives for hard-to-fill positions and hard-to-staff schools
· Value-added growth
· Demonstrated competencies
· Experimental (pilot) schools and programs.”

My response… Yes, no offer of a raise is disappointing, though not surprising in these economic times. However, what in the list of potential alternative compensation ideas is bad news?
The MTEA claims to be defenders of the children, wanting only the best for the kids of Milwaukee. That said, why on earth are they opposed to discussing the idea of market incentives for hard to fill math, science, and special education positions when many of the current positions are being staffed by long-term subs because MPS cannot find anybody to fill them?
Are they afraid that English and social studies positions with a hundred applicants per job won’t be filled if they’re compensated less than a math teacher?
What about paying more to teachers in schools that show high value-added growth? Value added growth being the idea that a school with poor achievement that shows a high level of improvement is graded higher than a school with high achievement that makes no progress.
This type of measurement is not strictly a measure of standardized test scores as the MTEA is right to oppose. But it also takes into account certain demographic characteristics such as poverty and mobility, making it a more accurate barometer of how well a school is doing with its resources.
And do they really have “demonstrated competencies” as something on their list of things they don’t wish to discuss as it relates to compensation? Demonstrated competency being the idea that a teacher would be rewarded for showing mastery of important characteristics of teaching. Why is the union opposed to the idea of teachers who show mastery of the craft being compensated more than those who don’t demonstrate competency? I’ll tell you why.
It is because the MTEA culture is to fight simply for the sake of fighting. It is not because the MTEA has the best interest of the children in mind.
If they did, they would have the foresight to see that these changes in compensation are not a matter of if but when. They would have the foresight to discuss changes while Federal money is being offered to make these types of changes. They would have the foresight to see that it’s wise to get started now and work the kinks out of the system before the change is forced upon us.
With teacher advocates on the board such as Terry Falk and Peter Blewett, it is ludicrous to believe that the Board is deliberately screwing the teachers of MPS in trying to make these changes. Wake up MTEA and go to the table with some fresh ideas. The public is tired of the status quo and the old guard is dying.
Either you’ll lead the way in negotiating thoughtful forms of alternative compensation that will benefit hard-working teachers and kids, or you’ll be begging for forgiveness from all your members when they changes are forced upon us and we have no say in the matter.