If I had realized this is just a group of teachers/former teachers I wouldn't have posted at all. Lol. As I mentioned I am not informed of all the issues. And around here 90% of the teachers have a holier then you attitude which makes it hard to have a peer to peer conversation with them. I am currently trying to break down that wall with my son's teacher so we can focus on issues he is having. If they do strike though I plan on going with my son to ask them to explain the strike points with us. It will be a good learning experience.
I think we can leave this at both agreeing that as a parent the idea of a month of school would be unsettling. And I would assume that as a teacher going on strike (along with the contract issues) it would be hard to lose that amount of time teaching the students and having to basically restart the year again at the end of October. It isn't that I don't think the contracts should be finilized. I just wish there was a better way to get them done without taking away from the kids education.
Maybe instead of saying you wouldn't have posted at all you could listen to those of us that are professionals in the field and hear what we are saying. Nobody wants a strike, nobody wants to "take away" a month of school from a kid. But I also don't want to sacrifice things for MY family that I am able to do (like take my kids to the doctor) because my job, benefits, and rights as an employee are being stripped away. I also want my students to be successful, so yes, I will strike for them to not have 40 kids in their English class (I have classes over 30 this year), but striking so that I can spend time with my family and have benefits that take care of them doesn't make me a bad person or teacher, as you seem to think we are.
The implication I am reading in your posts is that teachers are less important than your precious babies, and so should not be allowed to fight for themselves.
Post by sallyanne on Sept 25, 2015 11:59:15 GMT -5
What I was trying to get across in all of my posts was that there should be a better way to solve contract issues striking. Maybe there isn't. But other professions that are not allowed to strike seem to get contracts (like police for example) so there must be a way? I think we have all agreed the districts near me have some serious issues. So contracts always end up in strike action before the contract issues get solved or the govement steps in and orders everyone back into a work to rule. I know the unions are trying to work to fix it without striking. But both sides are constantly walking away from the table as well. I don't think teachers are less important then "my precious babies" or bad people. I think the entire next generation is being brought up in an education system that is obviously broken in this area and that really bothers me. Over the past two weeks of being a parent of a child in the school system as well as the thought you have all written has given me a different perspective then a student in the system. Maybe 90% of the teachers in this area give off an attitude because they are so sick of the contract problems and the way the media portrays it. But if you say to anyone around here that "so and so is one of *those* teachers" everyone knows exactly what your are describing.
Your last sentence is just rude. I'm not sorry that I have a different opionon then you do. We are looking at it from two different viewpoints. And I am looking at it also in a district where this is a regular occurrence. It sounds like strikes are not as common in other places.
Post by auroraloo on Sept 25, 2015 12:06:55 GMT -5
The only professions not allowed to strike are those that deal with public safety. While I absolutely believe in the power and necessity of education, and firmly believe that education is the number one weapon against poverty, they are not public safety.
I do not know how police contracts are resolved in lieu of striking, but I have sent out a couple emails asking the police officers I know.
My last sentence is rude. I apologize for the rudeness. I remember you leaving in a small blaze of glory for being rude, so I played off that because I was annoyed.
Post by sallyanne on Sept 25, 2015 12:27:18 GMT -5
So see we both agree on the one part I was trying to get across. Education is essential to the next generation and would be better if it could get resolved without striking. Since my last reply I did read two news articles I could find about our looming strike. And both say talks broke down a week ago. So we are all sort of in a holding position waiting for something drastic to happen in the last few hours before the strike starts. This is what happens every single year. It is extermly frustrating. (As I am sure it is for teachers as well.) I remember leaving because I was told I was cat fishing and people were hoping I would end up divorced. But that was a long time ago and I was hoping the past would remain in the past. However if it is going to be brought up again and again I will quietly go away. I am not looking for drama. Which is why I shouldn't have commented orginally on this post! Lol.
Post by rosesandpetals on Sept 25, 2015 23:27:33 GMT -5
To be honest with you, speaking as a parent and not as an educator, I would much rather my child miss a month of school and go back to an environment that is fair to the teachers than spend her entire school career (or even just that year) in a classroom with FORTY students. 40 is too many.
To be honest with you, speaking as a parent and not as an educator, I would much rather my child miss a month of school and go back to an environment that is fair to the teachers than spend her entire school career (or even just that year) in a classroom with FORTY students. 40 is too many.
I agree there is a major issue at a higher level. It is a provincial issue it seems. The spring strike was across at least 6 districts. It was a mess. I do stronger feel though that the profession sound need to work through their negotiations even if it is at a work to rule level. The problem with work to rule (at least around here) is it accomplishes nothing. The strike always seems to happen before the contract is finilized. I don't understand a lot about how it all works. So this is all just at a basic opionon of being a student and now parent in the school system.
So my rights as an employee mean nothing? IME teachers don't want to strike, unions try everything else first. At the end of the day, higher salaries and good work conditions attract better quality teachers.
Nope. We don't care about your wages or working conditions. You aren't allowed to ask for fair compensation. Sorry sucks to be teaching sallyannes precious.
Honestly I hadn't even thought of a strike until SallyAnne mentioned it. This is our first year in school. If a strike does happen I have no idea what to expect as far as how the school will handle it without disrupting the kids learning. And I think that's a fair feeling as a parent.
I didn't even know the teachers were only working their contract hours so they are obviously committed to their students.
I just didn't know it was possible or even common to be working without having a contract.
And again, based on the info available publicly and what the teachers said at the PTA meeting, I don't think they're being unreasonable in their demands.
I'm not anti teacher. At all.
I dont think anyone thinks YOU are anti teacher. Its totally reasonable to want to know what's up, and to hope they dont strike. I mean, FFS, you're not the one who said teachers shouldn't be allowed to strike because it will make your kid be behind in glorified preschool.
Ok, I'm to the end now, but I didn't want to edit my precoffee sas.
Sallyanne, I hope their comments have helped you to understand where the teachers are coming from, and why fair contracts are better for teachers and kids. I hope you can learn more and help to stop perpetuating the lies that its just "those teachers" who are lazy/want more than they deserve/etc. I would be hesitant to keep my kid in a district that I in such shambles, and I'm staunchly propublic school
Yes, if it was routine for a district to strike every year for 15 years, I'd either make it my full time job to improve the district (if I really cared) or I'd move.
If they've had a month long strike every year for 15 years, this has nothing to do with whether teachers should strike or not but that the school district is fundamentally dysfunctional. That's not anywhere near normal.
I agree there is a major issue at a higher level. It is a provincial issue it seems. The spring strike was across at least 6 districts. It was a mess. I do stronger feel though that the profession sound need to work through their negotiations even if it is at a work to rule level. The problem with work to rule (at least around here) is it accomplishes nothing. The strike always seems to happen before the contract is finilized. I don't understand a lot about how it all works. So this is all just at a basic opionon of being a student and now parent in the school system.
15 years of strikes has unfortunately left teachers looking like the bad guys to the public and it needs to be taken care of so we can start trusting the school system again.
the more I think about this, the more I think sallyanne is mixing up the facts? There is no record of any school district striking yearly for 5 years, 4, or 3 years, much less 15. Also, it doesn't make sense for a strike to be "across six districts"?
but, "provincial"? Are you in Canada? Because then I know jack shit about it.
We fucking fought the district in recess equity! We wanted a children in all schools to have an equitable amount of recess!
We also fought over testing, wages, office staff work load, equity teams, and various other important things. It was time. We need to be fairly compensated for our work, kids need less testing and damn recess time!
The days will be made up of there is a strike. Your kid will go the same amount of days as was scheduled before. Support the teachers please.
I agree there is a major issue at a higher level. It is a provincial issue it seems. The spring strike was across at least 6 districts. It was a mess. I do stronger feel though that the profession sound need to work through their negotiations even if it is at a work to rule level. The problem with work to rule (at least around here) is it accomplishes nothing. The strike always seems to happen before the contract is finilized. I don't understand a lot about how it all works. So this is all just at a basic opionon of being a student and now parent in the school system.
Yes, in Canada.
And ffs, this is what annoys me about this board. Everyone reads into only the parts they want to attack. It isn't only about MY child. It is about the entire graduating class last year that almost lost their semester and wouldn't have been able to graduate and start post secondary. It is about the millions of students that are losing parts of their education. You cannot make up 6 weeks of curriculum last spring in short time they went back. I haven't said teachers needs don't matter. Or that class sizes of 40 students are okay. I have said that 90% of the teachers are "those teachers" and went back to agree after reading yoir posts maybe they come across so negatively because of dealing with this crap for so long. What i have said is I wish there was a way to finilized contracts without strike action. Let me repeat myself again.. I wish contracts could be finilized without full strikes. Not I wish teachers would get nothing and just do their job, not I don't care about teachers getting proper pay and benifits. Just that I wish they could get it without having to walk the picket lines and losing out on classroom time and routine for ALL the students. And of course I am going to mention how it disrupts my child's learning. What parent doesn't think about how something impacts their child.
You can all disagree with me. Or pull apart my words. That's fine. But my point remains the same.
15 years of strikes has unfortunately left teachers looking like the bad guys to the public and it needs to be taken care of so we can start trusting the school system again.
the more I think about this, the more I think sallyanne is mixing up the facts? There is no record of any school district striking yearly for 5 years, 4, or 3 years, much less 15. Also, it doesn't make sense for a strike to be "across six districts"?
but, "provincial"? Are you in Canada? Because then I know jack shit about it.
We fucking fought the district in recess equity! We wanted a children in all schools to have an equitable amount of recess!
We also fought over testing, wages, office staff work load, equity teams, and various other important things. It was time. We need to be fairly compensated for our work, kids need less testing and damn recess time!
The days will be made up of there is a strike. Your kid will go the same amount of days as was scheduled before. Support the teachers please.
Meaning some kids got less or no recess than others?
We fucking fought the district in recess equity! We wanted a children in all schools to have an equitable amount of recess!
We also fought over testing, wages, office staff work load, equity teams, and various other important things. It was time. We need to be fairly compensated for our work, kids need less testing and damn recess time!
The days will be made up of there is a strike. Your kid will go the same amount of days as was scheduled before. Support the teachers please.
Meaning some kids got less or no recess than others?
Yes. Some schools had 15 minutes a day and some have 45. We wanted 45 for all kids but settled for 30.
Man, WTF is wrong with the people who make these decisions?
At the school DS would've gone to had we not moved, kinder was 8-3:30 with a 15 minute recess. Nope.
That's what we kept saying!
One of the issues our teachers fought for and won was switching lunch and recess. So now the kids play for 30 min and then have 15 to eat. So far teachers have reporter better focused students and less behavior problems in the afternoon. Also supposedly our school throws away 6 less trash bags a day since they implemented that,
One of the issues our teachers fought for and won was switching lunch and recess. So now the kids play for 30 min and then have 15 to eat. So far teachers have reporter better focused students and less behavior problems in the afternoon. Also supposedly our school throws away 6 less trash bags a day since they implemented that,
That's how our recess and lunch is structured. I really like it.
We fucking fought the district in recess equity! We wanted a children in all schools to have an equitable amount of recess!
We also fought over testing, wages, office staff work load, equity teams, and various other important things. It was time. We need to be fairly compensated for our work, kids need less testing and damn recess time!
The days will be made up of there is a strike. Your kid will go the same amount of days as was scheduled before. Support the teachers please.
We have the same problem with recesses. Our town has 2 x 20 minutes recesses and the town over had 2x 15 minutes and 1 x 30 minutes a day. It boggles my mind how this stuff is decided.
Where we live the strike time isn't made up. I am thinking Canada works different then the states. Even the 6 weeks last spring wasn't made up because then it would have cut into summer school. And summer school still needed to happen.
One of the issues our teachers fought for and won was switching lunch and recess. So now the kids play for 30 min and then have 15 to eat. So far teachers have reporter better focused students and less behavior problems in the afternoon. Also supposedly our school throws away 6 less trash bags a day since they implemented that,
That's how our recess and lunch is structured. I really like it.
Do you monitor your own recess? I'd be fine if we had monitors but I wouldn't want my time cut to 15 minutes. Plus, I don't think kids should have to rush through eating. Esp the little ones.
I fully believe in some of the reasons for them taking action. A major point of theirs is classroom sizes. 40 kids in high school and 30 in primary classes. So I support this part. They also want more money, more vacations blah blah blah same things they have been asking for since I was 15.
If they go on strike (which they 99.9% will) all classes are cancelled. All day cares run out of schools are cancelled. With something like 12 hours notice. And if history is any indication it will last a month. There has been a month long strike almost every year for the past 15 years. It is ridiculous.
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So I'm new, and late to the party but the above information is a gross exaggeration.
I'm assuming you are talking about Ontario. I have been teaching in Ontario for the last 16 years. I have only walked a picket line for one day of those 16 years. Some high schools were out for about 6 weeks last year but there is no way they have been out every year for the past fifteen. They only parent contact we aren't allowed to have is through the use of blogs/newsletters/websites, etc. Notes, meetings and phone calls seem good to me.
And to clarify, as past posters have explained, we are participating in job action NOT for more money or vacation time (where has this ever been confirmed?), but to put language in our contract related to class size, supports for special needs students, make sure that maternity benefits are available for same sex partners and adoptive parents, and not allow the government to strip contracts. Standing up for improved working conditions only benefits your child.