Are teacher unions useless?

I recently emailed a barrage of questions to various educator lobbyists and unions in the State of Texas. Below are the questions and responses from one organization.
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Dear Alex:

Please see my responses in blue below:

I've been teaching in Texas for 13 years and as you know this is a right-to-work state. I have never believed in the effectiveness of unions. However, as I look to move out of teaching and back into industry, I do have some questions about some items below. Can you please answer them as best as possible.

1. Why are unions not fighting to have the ACT or SAT companies Proctor state-wide TAKS to prevent cheating and alleviate the pressures teachers face with the testing days? Standing all day long and many districts use an FBI state-of-emergency response that causes extreme stress. Teachers could choose either to sign on as proctors and be paid by ACT or SAT or districts could make them work as hall monitors & have teacher prep days. In addition, why are teacher unions not fighting for the state test to just be called, and be the SAT or ACT? Is it not the goal of all teachers to prepare students for college? Re-Inventing the wheel seems to be a huge waste of time. 

The idea of hiring an outside agency to administer the test is interesting and could be pushed at the state legislature, but would be tacked on as another "unfunded" mandate.  The SAT and ACT will not be good measures of how a school is doing to make sure kids understand the specific state standards for a couple of reasons:  1.  SAT and ACT are norm referenced test that will always have 50% above and below the curve.  That will tell you nothing about which or how many students passed a minimum standard. 

2.  Criterion referenced tests allow for each student to meet a specific cut-line score to demonstrate proficiency for the state standards.  Administrators don't understand the use of testing right now for the most part and I would hate to have to weigh through a norm referenced test that usually sets urban schools up to be behind the curve in the first place.

2. Why are teacher unions not fighting to get legislation passed whereby all politicians must serve as substitutes for one week in an inner-city school, suburban school, charter, private and a suburban/inner-city school? This would give them a much better focal point of the issues teachers face, especially behavior and the overwhelming paper work. It may give them a glimpse of parents cursing out teachers and administrators, student-on-student violence and student-on-teacher violence. 

Again, interesting.  The closest we have come to that is having outside individuals come in to be principal for a day, but I see the value in having them be teachers.  The hardest part about this would be getting a real perspective on what is happening.  Too much room for staged days, specific class assignments, etc. that would be the goal of the campus administrator because they don't want to look bad.  I would like to encourage more teachers to reach out to their elected officials and have them visit them in their schools so the teachers constituents themselves can walk them through a day.  That may be something I can start to push on a pilot here in Houston.

3. Why are teacher unions not pushing for more law enforcement on school campuses. I think all teachers would agree that they would stay on their jobs longer if the environment were more conducive to calm than chaos. This is not just an inner-city issue anymore but one that is happening in the suburban schools. 2 per every 1000 just doesn't seem to make sense. Of course, cutting salaries at the top end would be great, but never gets justified. 

I've been on campuses with 4 and 5 cops per thousand.  If there isn't a structured, well-defined, school-wide discipline management plan in place it doesn't matter.  We consistently fight for school-wide systems, but they must constantly be enforced and worked.  That takes involvement of the teachers on campus and a willingness to sound the alarm.  Some places that happens and it works.  Some places are too afraid to speak out and things spiral out of control.

4. I can not understand the lack of pressure from teacher unions in regards to elementary schools and TAKS. The pressure on the little one's is crazy and I don't think TEA or politicians are aware of the harm they have placed upon our children.  We participated in hearings on this very topic held by a legislative select committee on testing.  We worked to make sure that parents were there to share their stories, teachers, as well as clergy and other professionals in related fields.  We coordinated efforts to ensure that our voice was present in most all stops they made across the state.  The TexasAFT pushed over-testing in the last legislative session that resulted in a cap on testing days, which has reduced some of craziness in the higher grades, but they continue to push testing on K and 1st grade that I feel is inappropriate for their developmental stage.  I understand it is not enough, but we will continue to fight the issues our members tell us to. 

Why should an elementary child feel college level pressure? Why should an elementary child be told that they are good kids, but since they can't pass a test...one test mind you...that they will have to repeat a grade? And if they fail it twice they repeat, and if they fail it again the next year then what? You have a 10 year old that fails the TAKS two years in a row you have then created a 12 year old 5th grader who gets pushed into middle school. A child who probably could do the work on paper in front of a teacher or parent but they are not good test takers. This is unacceptable and can not be tolerated even with the new STARR test. 

5. I can't understand why teacher unions are not engaging in major marketing blitzes to defend teachers and push the agendas or similar agendas I have mentioned. No one knows that teachers are in violent conditions. No one knows the workload teachers have. All people know is that today's teacher is a member of the Public Enemy list because a few sick minded individuals snuck into the industry and made mistake with kids. Where are the TV commercials & PSA's. Advertising on Cable and TV is much cheaper than newspaper and radio. In addition, the unions have access to hundreds of broadcasting programs on the high school level that would rise to the occasion given the incentive, to create state-wide public teacher service announcements to counter the negative image of teaching and teachers. At least team up with the Ad Council or PBS. There should even be a push for a national teacher cable channel that produces television programming promoting the teaching profession. There is the golf channel, womens channel, etc. Makes sense. 

You do see some of the advertising that you are talking about in other places.  I was in NY a few weeks ago and saw the TV ads and heard the radio spots doing exactly that.  Frankly, we don't have the funds for it.  As you stated earlier this is a right to work for less state and many people try to join when they have an individual problem or when they honestly begin to take a look at what we are doing.  The most effective way, however, to get out that message is through training teachers and others in the message.  Have the teachers themselves go out into their neighborhoods, civic clubs, churches, etc and talk about the great things they are doing.  I've offered on several occasions to assist with this, but no takers.

6. Final question, are you pushing Achieve Texas (www.achievetexas.org)? I would love to see this one good program evolve. Having every kid graduate with a license or certification in a trade plus a diploma is awesome. However, why do kids need the pressure of passing not only the STARR or state-wide graduation exam as well as get pressured to pass certification exams? Have you seen the Microsoft C++ or the Avid Media Composer exam? These are not easy. Why not create a hybrid graduation system requiring students to pass exams based upon their chosen academy with core course rigor included?

I volunteer on the HISD CTE Advisory Committee.  We have had this discussion once or twice as it relates to serving two masters on the accountability side.  The push is going to be even harder for industry certification. and I see no move to substitute those for passing the TAKS or EOC exams once they are implemented.  I don't have sufficient data as of yet to formulate a thoughtful opinion on this particular topic because I do see the need for ensuring proficiency in both academic and industry standards.

Recently, we worked to seat two HISD board members that were willing to tackle this issue head on.  Specifically, they wanted to see better industry options for students that elect a work study path through apprenticeships in place of or in addition to formal post-secondary education.  The AFL-CIO works very closely with HCC to develop and implement high quality academic learning and job training focused towards mastery of their trade or craft.  We wanted to see HISD engage in a meaningful way by demanding that our students be provided work opportunities when the new round of building begins from the bond program.  We did our part by supporting the bond, but HISD declined to honor their written agreement to implement the living wage/apprenticeship program.  Until we have sufficient support to change the philosophy of the HISD Board by the only means they recognize (changing the person in the seat) we will continue along the path we are currently on. 

In summary, our members set our policies and priorities.  I welcome you to step up and join us.  I cannot promise you a specific outcome, only my willingness to always help our members get their message out.  The union is not an office or a staff.  The union is our membership and their willingness to take a stand on issues.  Without that we have nothings.

Ted A. Irving, M.A.
Sam Houston State University Alumni Board of Directors
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Houston Fulbright Association
2002 Hightower HS Teacher of the Year
2003 Houston ABSE 2ndary Teacher of the Year
Former NAACP Gloster B. Current Leadership Award Winner
2002 Texas Regional Emmy Award Winner
2006 Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher