Thank you, labor unions ......

[Uncle Sparky]

I'd love to pay high wages to teachers - if you can make job offers and pay contingent on performance, like universities or any other employer.

Like bankers. Or brokers. Or others in the financial field who can be criminally incompetent and receive tax funded bail outs and 'golden handshakes' that probably exceed any teachers' incomes over a decade.

Someone argued sports teams pay according to ability. OK. Then have teachers start at $150,000 per year, and get performance bonuses above that. Maybe (just maybe if the unions allow it) cap them at 1.6 million/year. What is more important- having good education or a pro team that never makes the playoffs?

[Dinner]

Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union has turned the schools into glorified soup kitchens.

The contract dispute seems legit and I don't understand why so many of our right wing friends are complaining that a couple hundred kids were given a free PBJ sandwich with a glass of milk. It's not like that's a budget buster and if school was in session they'd probably be getting it any way.

It's not you specifically I'm talking about but a lot of other forums have dittoheads all claiming it's horrible poor kids got a PBJ when they should have gotten nothing (in the opinions of the dittoheads).

[DaShi]

That's what they've been told to believe.

[Felch]

The contract dispute seems legit and I don't understand why so many of our right wing friends are complaining that a couple hundred kids were given a free PBJ sandwich with a glass of milk. It's not like that's a budget buster and if school was in session they'd probably be getting it any way.

I thought he was talking about FARMs, and the fact that the chief benefit of Chicago's public schools has been helping poor kids get a couple decent meals a day. 80% of Chicago's kids qualify for FARMs, and lots of those kids aren't being fed as long as the strike goes on. If the teachers aren't interested in teaching (I think it's clear that they're not), they should at least show up for work and let the poor kids eat.

[giblets]

What grounds do you have for claiming the teachers aren't interested in teaching?

[giblets]

The contract dispute seems legit and I don't understand why so many of our right wing friends are complaining that a couple hundred kids were given a free PBJ sandwich with a glass of milk. It's not like that's a budget buster and if school was in session they'd probably be getting it any way.

It's not you specifically I'm talking about but a lot of other forums have dittoheads all claiming it's horrible poor kids got a PBJ when they should have gotten nothing (in the opinions of the dittoheads).

Because right wingers hate unions and will take any opportunity to vilify them even if it involves uncharacteristic endorsements of government handouts.

[DinoDoc]

What grounds do you have for claiming the teachers aren't interested in teaching?

Their performance at their job?

[Wezil]

Our provincial government (Liberals) just imposed a new contract on our teachers and removed their right to strike.

[DinoDoc]

Public employees shouldn't have the right to strike to begin with.

[Lorizael]

Their performance at their job?

Next you're going to tell me the Redskins aren't interested in playing football.

[DinoDoc]

Are you telling me that I should just assume that Chicago teachers are either terrible at their jobs or just unable to teach black children?

[Wezil]

Public employees shouldn't have the right to strike to begin with.

I believe public sector workers should only exist if they are "essential". If they are essential they shouldn't be allowed to strike.

[Wezil]

The removal of the right to strike I mentioned is not permanent. It lasts for (iirc) the next two years. The unions have threatened to take the matter to the courts. It could be interesting where this goes.

[giblets]

Are you telling me that I should just assume that Chicago teachers are either terrible at their jobs or just unable to teach black children?

Are you telling me the performance gap between black and white children is a product of lazy teachers?

[Felch]

What grounds do you have for claiming the teachers aren't interested in teaching?

They are refusing to work, because they don't want to be held accountable for how illiterate their students are.