>For once, I agree (in part) with something the Fly said. Across the country, and particularly in NJ, teachers unions are destroying public education. Failing to properly incentivize teachers has something to do with it. But, that is only symptomatic of two larger problems.
Unlike automotive workers decades ago, public school teachers have a high total compensation package (salary & benefits) with a very attractive work schedule, when compared to most other professions. Yet, unions like the NJEA continue to act as if this is not the case by squeezing school districts with automatic annual salary increases and tenure policies that cripple the district’s budget, removing a powerful incentive for teachers to work harder or be more accountable, and result in annual tax increases for taxpayers. One must only look to what the UAW did to the US auto industry in the 1980’s to see where their union’s policies are leading us.
As a result of the arrogance, greed, corruption and incopmitence of organized labor’s leaders, companies like GM were saddled with massive legacy and overhead costs that made the american auto industry totally uncompetitive. Quality of the product was poor and cost were as much as 50% greater than foreign manufactured cars. Does this sound a little like our educational system? The only hope of salvaging the broken US auto industry was for union membership to agree to huge concessions that did away with costly and outdated benefits packages and forever changed the way management compensated and incentivized auto workers in the US.
The other problem is a result of the failed legislation and leadership in Trenton that require high levels of services and then redistribute tax money from one district to another, leaving districts like Ridgewood with a service obligation it cannot fund.
Public education is badly broken right here in Ridgewood (don’t kid yourself). Getting Trenton to fully fund legislated programs or correct flawed legislation may never happen. But, our teachers need to acknowledge that they are part of our community and their children will suffer right along side of ours. They should be treated and compensated like any other professional. Employment cannot be guaranteed. Nor can automatic salary increases. teachers should be evaluated and paid fairly on their performance, like any other profession. The most powerful incentive is financial. And the best teachers should be rewarded (we have many of them in Ridgewood). The flip side is that the “safety net” for unmotivated and underperforming teacher must be removed (yes, we have plenty of them, too). The teachers have the power to change their union’s behavior. They must acknowledge that their advocate, and therefore the teachers themselves, are a major part of the problem. But, it is a part of the problem that can be fixed with their help, as it was in the auto industry with cooperation from UAW membership and leaders. We have to scrap the existing compensation, benefits and tenure structure, as it exists today, and start with a clean piece of paper. It WILL be painful for some teachers, at first. But, it WILL lead to a better school district. Until it happens, the future for our public schools will continue to be bleak.