Sadly: Ending the Fifth Column Among Us As We Face A Strike

The most recent communication from Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson directly to the teaching staff through the email system and now through the mail system, is a direct violation of the negotiating terms that the Union and the District agreed to before entering into these negotiations. The president of the union, Olga Addae, has responded over district and private email with the union's public response and has published the District's SERVE proposal on its website. If you did not attend one of the focus meetings I strongly recommend you go to the Seattle Education Association's website and read the SERVE proposal and judge for yourself. And YOU MUST JUDGE FOR YOURSELF because you are going to be asked to vote on whether to approve the district's proposal or not at the September meeting. The actions of the district to attempt to negotiate directly with individual teachers is the most clear indication that the administration under Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson with the support of the Seattle School Board is intent upon breaking the union and the ability of teacher's to collectively bargain. And now for a History lesson.

The term fifth column refers to a group of "secret sympathizers with the enemy who engage in espionage or sabotage". And it is sad to say that among the teaching profession we have a not so secret group of sympathizers who on their own initiative because they think they know what is best for education and for teachers take sides against the union, our collective bargaining agency, and weaken the ability of teachers to improve their working conditions and wages. Due to my sadness at the impending possibility of a strike, I am going to limit my invective against these teachers to something more like a gentle tap on the wrist. Please, forego your unfounded arrogance and allow our representative organization, the SEA, to do what only it can do with any success and that is to negotiate on our behalf.

Our collective bargaining agency is a democratically elected representative system, that's purpose is to better the working lives of the people they represent. In our school of 75 active members we were unable to get 4 people to fill the voting slots we have to represent the interests of our members not to mention the 4 alternate positions. When we hold meetings they are attended by the same 10 teachers and the rest make up some lame excuses as to why they choose not to prioritize providing their input into the organization which is dedicated to improving their lot. Each wage increase you have ever gotten has been negotiated by the SEA. Each limit of class size, each step increase, each tri pay has been negotitated by the SEA and yet there are those among you who simply think that this group is incompetent or you don't have the time to participate. Well, for those of you who are willing and ready to let the union fall and allow you to negotiate on your own with the likes of a Goodloe-Johnson, get prepared the wolves are the doors.

So indeed I am more sad then angry. I am sad that the school board has hired a show boat superintendant who steam roles over every stakeholder with whom she has business dealings. I am sad that the public and the media blames the union for holding back education when the facts of the matter are the WEA is in the forefront of educational reform and promoting such things as National Board Certification for teachers. I am sad that the union gets the blame for keeping poor teachers in the system when in fact the blame should go in order to the legislature, the administration and then and only then the union. Let me explain this to YOU once and for all so you will stop repeating the mantra of the union's detractors that it is the union that is at fault for supporting poor teachers and poor teaching practice.

The laws which determine our rights and obligations as teachers do not come from the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) first, they come from the State of Washington RCW's, specifically Chapter 28A.405. RCW-Certificated Employee. You can access this RCW at the Washington state Government Web site but for your convenience I will quote the important passages to you here.

28A.405.110 Evaluations-Legislative findings. The legislature recognizes the importance of teachers in the educational system. Teachers are the fundamental element in assuring a quality education for the state's and the nation's children......The legislature further finds that an evaluation system for teachers has the following elements, goals and objectives: (1) An evaluation system must be meaningful, helpful, and objective: (2) an evaluation system must encourage improvement in teaching skills, techniques, and abilities by identifying areas needing improvement; (3) an evaluation system must provide a mechanism to make meaningful distinctions among teachers and to acknowledge, recognize and encourage superior teaching performance; and (4) an evaluation system must encourage respect in the evaluation process by the persons conducting the evaluations and the persons subject to the evaluations through recognizing the importance of objective standards and minimizing subjectivity. (1985)

So as you see because the legislature recognizes the importance of teachers it wishes to perserve the investment it makes in teachers and teacher training by insuring an evaluation system that is helpful and aimed toward improving teaching practice not penalizing struggling teachers.

The administrators are second in line of the group that is responsible for perpetuating poor teachers because they do not apply the evaluative procedure in the way that it was intended but choose to use it to punish and harass teachers and inhibit free speech and freedom of thought or to not use it at all.

And finally the union which has a reponsibility to its members to protect the due process of teachers in accordance with the legislative findings that are incorporated in the CBA. If the union is successful in helping a teacher maintain his/her position the union is able to do so on due process grounds or through their representation of the member in the Performance Improvement Plan period that actually supports the teacher towards overcoming his/her weaknesses. The union simply follows the law but the union will sometimes go beyond its duty to follow the law and take an active interest in helping an individual out of the teaching profession if they believe there is substantive evidence that suggests that this individual is not good for the profession. The union does not benefit from keeping poor teachers in place. It takes it as its responsibility to insure students are educated and a poor teacher does not educate.

And with regards to the importance of seniority to avoid abuse in the system. I will defend seniority and take that up in my next blog if I am not overwhelmed by the impending strike and the need to communicate crucial organization information.

So Sadly, I must report that the likelyhood of a long and extended strike is facing Seattle. The district has leveraged a bad economy and a national anti-union anti-teacher sentiment to put together a union busting contract that provides no additional benefit to its teaching or educator corps. It appears that the union will not be proposing that we ratify this contract, if the breakdown in the current negotiations are any indication. So while this is infinately sad that the district would leverage this difficult time against its employees despite its protestations that it is here to help teachers, it will be an even greater tragedy if we do not stand the line to defend the right of our members to collectively bargain in good faith with its employer.

What is clear to me since the beginning of the Goodloe Johnson administration, is that there is no good faith bargaining with its employees. This is a shame and we are going to have to fight and bleed for it. Expect a long drawn out strike that will reach deep into October, maybe November. Put some money away to help get you through the next three months and if you need to borrow money to pay your bills the Seattle Education Credit Union is offering a great deal to its members to borrow 10,000.00 at 4.25% over a five year period ($180.00 a month pay back). That $10,000.00 should be able to get most of you through the period because you must be able to stand strong and your financial peril will weaken you and your support of our cause. Y0u might consider borrowing it now, SECU might change its mind if a strike is announced.

So stay tuned and keep the faith. The stronger you are now, the more support you are able to get from your friends and neighbors against this superintendant and against this school board the more helpful you will be in preventing the district from strong arming the union. And don't forget that we are having elections in November and some school board members are up for re election. It is time to elect people who will terminate Goodloe-Johnson and be responsive to the stake-holders of the city of Seattle.

SHMUEL