From: elg@elgamy.sccsi.com (Eric Lee Green)
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:15:36 CDT
Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections,misc.education
Subject: Re: AFT
Distribution: world
Organization: Eric's Amiga 2000 @ Home

From article <1992Aug24.210402.22639@fid.morgan.com>, by joec@fid.morgan.com (Joe Collins):
> In article <00714263485@elgamy.sccsi.com> elg@elgamy.sccsi.com (Eric Lee Green) writes:
>>Just thought I'd clear up that misunderstanding.
>> -- Eric Lee Green (AFT member, and proud of it).
>
> Joe Collins (I HAVE to respond - I will *NEVER* belong to a union. I would
>              rather succeed by my own individual efforts and be rewarded
>              accordingly.)

When I asked about membership in the HFT (the local affiliate of the AFT),
I asked "What have they done for teachers?"

Well, here's an example:

At many schools, teachers were being required to work as unpaid
administrative assistants. Teachers had to fill in as much as 45 minutes
worth of paperwork every morning, paperwork that could have been done in
three minutes by a computer or by central office staff if central office
staff actually worked for a living.

When attempts to remedy this situation via individual teacher action proved
unsuccessful, the HFT sued the local school district in federal court,
claiming that their actions were depriving the schoolchildren of a "free
and appropriate education" as guaranteed by federal law.

In addition, the TFT (the state affiliate) swiftly moved into action.
They got the law passed in Austin, and now it's official: a teacher's job
is to teach. Not to fill in nonsense paperwork invented by central office
staff who are more intent upon preserving their jobs than educating kids.
I've had to fill out two different kinds of forms since I started my
current job: the daily attendance report, and my book request cards. That's
it. There are eight different forms, total, that the law allows the
administrators to give me. Most of them only need to be turned in once per
year (like the book request cards, hypothetically).

If this action had been possible via individual action, I wouldn't have
been interested. But as long as local school districts hold a virtual
monopoly on teaching positions (I can't afford to teach at a private
school), there is a definite place for organizations such as the AFT
and HFT. So far I have not encountered a situation where the administration
is reluctant to meet their obligations under local and federal law. If I
ever do run into such a situation -- such as, for example, if Gloria
refuses to open the bookroom and give me the books that I need to teach a
new kid in my class -- it's nice to know that I have this one extra level
of backup before I advise the kid's parent to contact an advocate (which
will result in a lawsuit against the school, and probably my dismissal).

None of this would be a problem if we had school choice, which is why I am
an advocate of school choice. When schools are responsible for their own
results and parents can choose accordingly, teachers can choose the schools
in their area which have a compatible philosophy and be rewarded for
results accordingly. Right now, though, with the virtual monopoly power
that public school systems have today, I need any advantage that I can get.

--
 Eric Lee Green  elg@elgamy.sccsi.com         Dodson Elementary
 (713) 437-6908  uunet!nuchat!elgamy!elg      Houston, TX
                "Kids are kids, no matter what"
Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections