Foundations of Education and Instructional Assessment/School Organization/Unions

 Should I Join a Teachers Union? What about a professional organization?  By: Kayla Bise

 Learning Targets

 Readers should understand the benefits and disadvantages of Teachers Unions  Readers should understand how the Unions effect teachers  Readers should be able to decide if they would like to join a union once they begin their career 

 Introduction

 Benefits of Joining a Union

There are many benefits of joining a teachers union. When a teacher joins a union they are granted many more benefits then teachers that do not join a union. The benefits that teachers are most concerned with are their pay and benefits, working conditions, employment security. A study found that teachers who are members of the union earned between five and twelve percent more than those who did not join a union (Eberts, 2007). These teachers also had more benefits and this may have increased the quality of education (Eberts, 2007). Teachers are often concerned about their working conditions such as class size, time for preparation and other activities away from students (Eberts, 2007). Studies found that that the student-teacher rations were seven to twelve percent lower for union teachers than for nonunion teachers (Eberts, 2007). The study also found that union teachers were allowed more time in class preparation and administrative duties (Eberts, 2007). Without the union teachers would not be allowed this planning time which is necessary for their classroom to run smoothly. While the unions protect a teachers pay and benefits and working conditions it also protects their employment security. Many teachers are granted tenure after teacher for a few years (Eberts, 2007). Tenure protects teachers from dismissal except for specific causes, which are not related to performance (Eberts, 2007). As you can see there are many benefits to joining the union that will protect you as a teacher.

 Disadvantages of Joining a Union

While there are many benefits of joining a union there are also many disadvantages. Some teachers do not want to join the union because they are often very political and they may not agree with what the union stands for. Randall W. Eberts stated, “Teachers were not always anxious to be part of organized labor” (Eberts, 2007). While the unions often helped with the financial aspects of being a teacher they had many views and were often not agreed by the teachers (Eberts, 2007). There are also some districts that say that a teacher must be part of a union. Many people are forced to go along with the views of the largest unions like the NEA and AFT because there are no counter propaganda organizations (Moore, 1996). A disadvantage of joining the union is the cost. The average annual dues for the National Education Association is between four and six hundred dollars (Moore, 1996). This raises seven hundred and eighty five million dollars in revenue for the NEA (Moore, 1996). While the union may do a great job at protecting teachers pay, working conditions and their employment security it also protects bad teachers. An example of this is a high school teacher that was fired for producing and appearing in an x-rated video and asking students to be involved (Moore, 1996). The union defended this teacher claiming that he was working to augment his income (Moore, 1996). Teachers like this should not be protected under the union. These disadvantages may outweigh the benefits of joining a union.

 Conclusion

There are many benefits and disadvantages of joining a teachers union. While some teachers want to protect their pay and benefits, working conditions, and employment security others view the unions as if it was forced upon them. Some may feel that unions are too political for them to join whither it is for a religious reason or ethical view of the NEA. Some may believe that joining the union is costly while others see that there are benefits in joining the unions that may increase their pay. As future teachers we will have to decide whither we will join the 3.2 million teachers across the United States in the NEA. One must weigh out their views of the unions and decide if joining will be an advantage or disadvantage for their career as a teacher.

 References

<font color="##000000" face="LUCIDA">American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved Febrauary, 15, 2009 from http://www.aft.org Eberts, Randall W. (Spring, 2007). Teachers Unions and Student Performance: Help or Hindrance? The Future of Children, Vol. 17. Retrieved February 15, 2009 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4150025 Moore, Randy. (May, 1996) Teachers Unions. The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 58. Rerieved February 15, 2009 from http://www. Jstor.org/stable/4450145 National Education Asscaition. Retrieved February 15, 2009 from http://www.nea.org

<font color="#151B8D" face="LUCIDA"> Questions

1. Who is the largest Teaching Union in the United States A. AFT B. CBS C. NEA D. NNEA

2. How many members does the largest Teaching Union in the United States have? A. 3.8 Million B. 1.4 Million C. 7.2 Million D. 3.2 Million

3. True or False: The average teacher's wages will increase if they join a union.

4. One reason many teachers do not join unions is: A. They will have a pay increase B. Religious and Political Views C. To fight for better cafeteria food D. There is not a teachers union

Answer Key 1. C 2. D 3. True 4. B Kbise001 (talk) 19:15, 26 February 2009 (UTC)