AFT - protecting their own

According to AFT-WV documents, federal funding accounts for about $578 million of the state's $2.63 billion 2010-11 budget for public education.

The AFT-WV endorsed Manchin for governor in 2004 and 2008, but has had a rocky relationship with Manchin of late.

The 16,000-member union of teachers and school service personnel has been at odds with Manchin over a lack of pay raises, and over his attempts this year to change state education laws in order to compete for federal "Race to the Top" funds.

Among the proposed changes, which died during the 2010 regular and special sessions, was legislation that would have allowed charter schools in the state, and would have required teachers to undergo annual performance evaluations.

During the news conference, Charleston lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate Jim Lees said eliminating federal funds for education would hurt West Virginia taxpayers, since the state Constitution mandates that the state provide a "thorough and efficient system" of public schools.

"How are you going to do that without raising tax dollars on the people of West Virginia?" he asked.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201010261386

Me thinks the state Legislature is in violation of the State Constitution because it is a fact that our public school system is not a "thorough and efficient system".

SamCogar wrote:

According to AFT-WV documents, federal funding accounts for about $578 million of the state's $2.63 billion 2010-11 budget for public education.

The AFT-WV endorsed Manchin for governor in 2004 and 2008, but has had a rocky relationship with Manchin of late.

The 16,000-member union of teachers and school service personnel has been at odds with Manchin over a lack of pay raises, and over his attempts this year to change state education laws in order to compete for federal "Race to the Top" funds.

Among the proposed changes, which died during the 2010 regular and special sessions, was legislation that would have allowed charter schools in the state, and would have required teachers to undergo annual performance evaluations.

During the news conference, Charleston lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate Jim Lees said eliminating federal funds for education would hurt West Virginia taxpayers, since the state Constitution mandates that the state provide a "thorough and efficient system" of public schools.

"How are you going to do that without raising tax dollars on the people of West Virginia?" he asked.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201010261386

Me thinks the state Legislature is in violation of the State Constitution because it is a fact that our public school system is not a "thorough and efficient system".

Let's Talk about Jokes for a moment.

We'll start with the West Virginia Legislature. My wife has taught in the public school system for 21 years. She has been evaluated twice every year by the principle of the school where she teaches, once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester. Each evaluation consists of 3 observations. Point is the annual evalution is already being done. What the idiots in the legislature won't tell you is that the hiring and firing practices they created make it nearly impossible to get rid of under performing teachers.

Now let's talk about Teacher's Associations, i.e. Unions. My wife is a member of one such association. I have attended a couple of conferences with her and even sat in on a couple of secessions. The fact of the matter is both the WVEA and AFT are a joke and an embarasment. The only reason most are members is to be able to lobby the jerks in Charleston for more money and benefits. Other wise that vast majority of members would sell out their own mother for a dime.

The part the really galls me about the so called unions is that they allow the jackasses in the legislature and the governor to condemn and belittle them, but come legislative season the unions go crawling back to these same people with their hand out. So far as I'm concerned you could put the whole bunch, unions and legislature, in a big jar and shake them up and pour them out and you wouldn't have anything, but a buch of two year olds whining and bellyaching.

If you want a good education system one needs to cut both the legislature and teacher's unions out of the pciture. That only way that happens is to privatize education.

If you want a good education system one needs to cut both the legislature and teacher's unions out of the pciture. That only way that happens is to privatize education.

But still keep it compulsory, right? Otherwise, ignorant parents will insure their kids stay just as ignorant.

Oh, wait - then you are unfairly punishing the poor, just like some say the various mandatory health insurance laws do.

Not sure what the fix is, but this ain't it... .

TerryRC wrote:If you want a good education system one needs to cut both the legislature and teacher's unions out of the pciture. That only way that happens is to privatize education.

But still keep it compulsory, right? Otherwise, ignorant parents will insure their kids stay just as ignorant.

Oh, wait - then you are unfairly punishing the poor, just like some say the various mandatory health insurance laws do.

Not sure what the fix is, but this ain't it... .

You nor nobody else has the right to determine the course of life for another individual. We are a free people and it is darn well time we started acting like it.

You nor nobody else has the right to determine the course of life for another individual. We are a free people and it is darn well time we started acting like it.

As I said in another thread on this subject.

We don't consider kids old enough to enter into legal contracts but we are going to let them make life changing decisions about their future and drop out of school by fourth grade ( I think that was the cut-off you entertained in the other thread)?

Hmmm... .

TerryRC wrote:You nor nobody else has the right to determine the course of life for another individual. We are a free people and it is darn well time we started acting like it.

As I said in another thread on this subject.

We don't consider kids old enough to enter into legal contracts but we are going to let them make life changing decisions about their future and drop out of school by fourth grade ( I think that was the cut-off you entertained in the other thread)?

Hmmm... .

Seems to me I've it more than clear the responsibility of education falls to the parent, not the government. So far as I'm concerned no parent should be forced to send their kid to school after the 4th grade. Truthfully, the more I think about this the more I'm inclined to say that education should not be compulsary at all.