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February 16

Another View: Teachers union stands for its members' interests, not students'

Real education reform requires unions to stop sheltering underperforming teachers.

By Dennis T. Caron

Maine Education Association Executive Director Rob Walker spins his opposition to Gov. LePage's education reforms as a concern for quality public education, but he (the union) appears to advocate for exactly the opposite ("Another View: Editorial wrong about LePage's bills and the teachers union" Feb. 13).

His union requires that all teachers, from the best to the worst, be treated the same and paid the same, thus motivating high-performing teachers to leave education and the poor performers to stay.

His union opposes terminating poor performing teachers, thereby forcing schools to keep bad teachers, which further degrades education quality. (The rate of termination in teaching is only about one tenth of that measured in other professions.)

His union opposes school choice, performance measurement in education and pay for performance, while perpetually pushing for more spending. The growth of public education spending has exceeded the rate of inflation for more than 30 years, while the results obtained from public education have declined.

His union pours millions into political campaigns, thereby purchasing the ability to strangle the public education system, and now the teachers unions are identified as the biggest impediment to meaningful education reform in the country.

Is Mr. Walker really interested in quality education or is he advocating for his union's specific interest and by default his own union job and income?

We don't have the luxury of another 30 years to listen to the union spin their interest as the public's interest. We need reform and change now.

Dennis T. Caron is a resident of Cumberland Center.

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