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What do you think of the proposal to eliminate teachers strikes in Pennsylvania?

Brian Estadt's picture
Submitted by Brian Estadt on March 14, 2007 - 1:21pm.
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Submitted by poeticallychallanged on March 22, 2007 - 3:58pm.

These results don't surprise me. It seems residents of the FR school district have a difficult time understanding the commitment and sacrifice of teachers that goes into educating their children, but rather like to complain about money. Obviously negotiation without strikes is ideal, but teachers don’t strike because they think it’s a fun game to play. Eliminating strikes will only cause teachers to react to unwilling compromise in more severe ways, such as leaving the district for other (read: BETTER) teaching jobs. Soon there will be no good teachers left at FR. More than pay, teachers want to work in a community supportive of education and education programs.

I have grown up in Murrysville and attended and graduated from Franklin Regional. In all those years, I have never seen that support from the community. Now, as a teacher, though I would have loved to return to my alma mater as an educator, I chose not to for this very reason. I am glad I "got out of" FR when I did -- I recieved an amazing education there from AMAZING TEACHERS, but it seems things are progressively going downhill. This school district will not succeed without the support from the community/parents/teachers/students/board... everyone needs to work together. Do it for the kids.

teacher strikes
Submitted by bolkovac on March 23, 2007 - 9:55am.

I love the do it for kids line ...how 'bout do it to line my already over paid pockets. What a job , get hired into a district like franklin reg. good pay not any danger from the kids , good upper middle class , never had a strike because the school board ( read "gypsys , tramps and thieves " ) hands over our tax money at the drop of a hat. AND you want to be permitted to strike. Why dont we try working for a living , where it you cant prove yourself you dont get a raise or if you cant pass yearly tests you shape up or ship out !
I went to franklin - there were teachers there who cared but as the years have passed I notice that there are more and more teachers who dont. If you think this is unfair I think you can get hired in the City of Pittsburgh and I think you would do fine there for a lot less $ ( just dont forget your body armor)

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Submitted by BrianneHolland on March 15, 2008 - 1:27pm.

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easy to complain
Submitted by poeticallychallanged on March 25, 2007 - 11:28am.

Bolkovac, I didn't expect you (or people like you) to understand... which was why I made the comment in the first place. And that "drop of the hat" that you mention with such malcontent are your children, or the children of this community. And of course someone like you, presumably with a 9-5 job who doesn't bring home 120 essays to grade, would think that teachers don't "work for a living." But it's easy for you to say, shipping your disrespectful little brat to school for the teachers to deal with.

If teaching is so EASY and so well paying, why didn't you go into education? I think I can answer this: because you know it's not well paying. And you know you will be up until midnight grading papers or developing "creative" lesson plans. And you know you will be underappreciated. And you know that you could work your ass off, dedicating your life to your students, and not be rewarded financially or emotionally for it. And that's why teachers stop caring - because they are tired of being the only ones who do. If only parents cared more about their own kids. If only the community cared more about their own kids. But no, a nice suburban middle-class town like Murrysville likes to burry its head in the sand while spoiled rich kids get high on coke and heroine, while the parents complain about taxes. Murrysville is just about the last place I would want to raise my kids -- and I don't intend to let that happen.

I only wish that more of the good teachers at Franklin WOULD leave. But too many of them still care, still want to make a difference, change the world, love your children, and so they stay, crappy pay and all, unsupportive community and all.

If you'd like to debate this topic, please feel free!
Submitted by poeticallychallanged on March 26, 2007 - 12:09pm.

If you disagree with the comments I've made regarding this issue, I'd love to hear why and your opinions. Debate is what makes this world great. I don't expect 100% agreement -- in fact, that would be a bit dull. So I welcome dissent to my opinions! But please, refrain from Bolkovac's tactic, it looks bad and it probably won't help your argument any.

FYI: I respect the opinions and beliefs of others (save any offensive and/or discriminatory opinions), no matter how much they may differ from mine.