In this chapter that discusses the troubling transformations of teacher unions over time, teacher representation goes under harsh challenges. Their profession is devalued and sexist against the dominantly female work force in education. From my perspective, if there is any job that needs a union it is the teachers because their job has so many variables. They work with others all day long, in school environments which differ vastly. Teachers should be made safe and their conditions comfortable for the services they provide in educating the youth.
Someone has to have the job of forming a child’s brain and we have professionals who are trained to do it. Teachers should not be held accountable for this. Someone needs to do it. Truckers create road kill but they have a highly supported union because everyone knows that that stuff happens. Teacher’s doings come under a microscope when they are with our children all the time. What needs to happen is to separate the issues. Yes, they are with our developing children everyday, but their objectives are only positive, for the most part. This must be taken into consideration before heinous accusations are made. Children are fickle. The nature of the job should have been taken into account before making rash judgments and decisions.
