VA Teachers: which gubernatorial candidate would be better for education (single policy opinion)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and I sure wouldn't go with anything VEA says.

Please elaborate. There must have some redeeming quality. I can’t believe an organization like the is totally undesirable.

DP.
Former teacher here and I agree with pp.
The VEA and its local affiliates are not advocating or even interested in what is best for students. They advocate for the teachers. And, only the teachers. And, the previous poster who said they always endorse Democrats is correct. Go back 30 years. Find a Republican they endorsed. You can't. And, it doesn't represent all the teachers in the state. Teachers join because they promote the "insurance" they provide to teachers in case they are sued or need representation. I used to be a member.
During my time as a teacher, I saw three different teachers represented by the union because the district wanted to terminate their contracts. All three of them should have lost their jobs because of incompetence. One was downright abusive. Bad teachers give all teachers a bad name. And, the principals had evidence of their incompetence. All the staff members at my school knew these teachers were incompetent. But, these people were not fired. They were "transferred." Proof that the unions don't really care about the students. I quit the union because they were advocating for horrible teachers.

As a teacher, the students were my number 1 priority. Students should be every teacher's number 1 priority. I don't have a problem with teachers having a union to advocate for them, but when they routinely support ineffective, incompetent teachers, they give all of us a bad name.

I’m pretty sure this is inaccurate because Virginia teachers didn’t get collective bargaining rights until last year, so there was no “union” to enforce “union contracts” before then.

[Anonymous]

Why would a teachers union endorse a Republican candidate? The GOP doesn’t GAF about public schools. If anything, they want to dismantle and defund them.

I’m glad VA is giving teacher unions some power - when teachers have a strong voice the kids flourish. Areas with strong teachers unions tend to have great schools.

Glad VA is finally catching up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and I sure wouldn't go with anything VEA says.

Please elaborate. There must have some redeeming quality. I can’t believe an organization like the is totally undesirable.

DP.
Former teacher here and I agree with pp.
The VEA and its local affiliates are not advocating or even interested in what is best for students. They advocate for the teachers. And, only the teachers. And, the previous poster who said they always endorse Democrats is correct. Go back 30 years. Find a Republican they endorsed. You can't. And, it doesn't represent all the teachers in the state. Teachers join because they promote the "insurance" they provide to teachers in case they are sued or need representation. I used to be a member.
During my time as a teacher, I saw three different teachers represented by the union because the district wanted to terminate their contracts. All three of them should have lost their jobs because of incompetence. One was downright abusive. Bad teachers give all teachers a bad name. And, the principals had evidence of their incompetence. All the staff members at my school knew these teachers were incompetent. But, these people were not fired. They were "transferred." Proof that the unions don't really care about the students. I quit the union because they were advocating for horrible teachers.

As a teacher, the students were my number 1 priority. Students should be every teacher's number 1 priority. I don't have a problem with teachers having a union to advocate for them, but when they routinely support ineffective, incompetent teachers, they give all of us a bad name.

I’m pretty sure this is inaccurate because Virginia teachers didn’t get collective bargaining rights until last year, so there was no “union” to enforce “union contracts” before then.

PP here.
I referred to them as "unions" so the non-educators would know what I was talking about. You are correct in that FEA and FCFT (Fairfax) were not "unions" in the traditional sense. We called them "associations" because VA is a right to work state. But in informal discussions, teachers did refer to them as "unions."
Not sure what "union contracts" has anything to do with what I posted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and I sure wouldn't go with anything VEA says.

Please elaborate. There must have some redeeming quality. I can’t believe an organization like the is totally undesirable.

DP.
Former teacher here and I agree with pp.
The VEA and its local affiliates are not advocating or even interested in what is best for students. They advocate for the teachers. And, only the teachers. And, the previous poster who said they always endorse Democrats is correct. Go back 30 years. Find a Republican they endorsed. You can't. And, it doesn't represent all the teachers in the state. Teachers join because they promote the "insurance" they provide to teachers in case they are sued or need representation. I used to be a member.
During my time as a teacher, I saw three different teachers represented by the union because the district wanted to terminate their contracts. All three of them should have lost their jobs because of incompetence. One was downright abusive. Bad teachers give all teachers a bad name. And, the principals had evidence of their incompetence. All the staff members at my school knew these teachers were incompetent. But, these people were not fired. They were "transferred." Proof that the unions don't really care about the students. I quit the union because they were advocating for horrible teachers.

As a teacher, the students were my number 1 priority. Students should be every teacher's number 1 priority. I don't have a problem with teachers having a union to advocate for them, but when they routinely support ineffective, incompetent teachers, they give all of us a bad name.

I’m pretty sure this is inaccurate because Virginia teachers didn’t get collective bargaining rights until last year, so there was no “union” to enforce “union contracts” before then.

PP here.
I referred to them as "unions" so the non-educators would know what I was talking about. You are correct in that FEA and FCFT (Fairfax) were not "unions" in the traditional sense. We called them "associations" because VA is a right to work state. But in informal discussions, teachers did refer to them as "unions."
Not sure what "union contracts" has anything to do with what I posted.

DP,

It’s a moot point regardless. They still don’t have collective bargaining. No district has a CBA yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would a teachers union endorse a Republican candidate? The GOP doesn’t GAF about public schools. If anything, they want to dismantle and defund them.

I’m glad VA is giving teacher unions some power - when teachers have a strong voice the kids flourish. Areas with strong teachers unions tend to have great schools.

Glad VA is finally catching up.

Are the unions what make great in places like Detroit? I think a PP upthread may be right about teacher unions focusing on teachers. It would be interesting to see if students could form their own union in some way. That could be something I might get behind. -native Detroiter

[Anonymous]

The VEA chart doesn't address a lot of education issues.

No mention of VMPI with watered down math classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m
Against the VA Math Pathways Initiative (VMPI), which will
Keep going if McAuliffe is governor so I’m
For Youngkin.

I'd be willing to consider McAuliffe if I could be sure he would dump Atif Qarni as Va Sec of Ed. I had high hopes for Qarni, but stuff like this -- https://bluevirginia.us/2021/03/va-secretary-of-education-atif-qarni-on-trumpism-being-largely-responsible-for-anti-asian-attacks-modern-day-school-segregation-governors-schools-ralph-northam-as-most-consequential-governo -- is so divisive and unhelpful. He wants to increase regulation of gifted education (one of the areas in NoVA that provides a decent foundational education akin to what most of us got in the 80s/90s). He's really invested in the culture wars, at the expense of what most of us want our kids to learn in school, meanwhile testing scores keep going down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The VEA chart doesn't address a lot of education issues.

No mention of VMPI with watered down math classes.

Probably because VPMI doesn’t “water down classes”.

[Anonymous]

He and Terry Mack
go waaaaay back

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a teachers union endorse a Republican candidate? The GOP doesn’t GAF about public schools. If anything, they want to dismantle and defund them.

I’m glad VA is giving teacher unions some power - when teachers have a strong voice the kids flourish. Areas with strong teachers unions tend to have great schools.

Glad VA is finally catching up.

Are the unions what make great in places like Detroit? I think a PP upthread may be right about teacher unions focusing on teachers. It would be interesting to see if students could form their own union in some way. That could be something I might get behind. -native Detroiter

Teacher unions are one factor. So is funding.

So when DeVos defunded public schools in Detroit, she further crippled them. It was truly criminal what she did to schools there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a teachers union endorse a Republican candidate? The GOP doesn’t GAF about public schools. If anything, they want to dismantle and defund them.

I’m glad VA is giving teacher unions some power - when teachers have a strong voice the kids flourish. Areas with strong teachers unions tend to have great schools.

Glad VA is finally catching up.

Are the unions what make great in places like Detroit? I think a PP upthread may be right about teacher unions focusing on teachers. It would be interesting to see if students could form their own union in some way. That could be something I might get behind. -native Detroiter

Teacher unions are one factor. So is funding.

So when DeVos defunded public schools in Detroit, she further crippled them. It was truly criminal what she did to schools there.

Throwing more money at the problems in DPS did not help. It would be better spent on social services outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The VEA chart doesn't address a lot of education issues.

No mention of VMPI with watered down math classes.

Probably because VPMI doesn’t “water down classes”.

They said so in their videos. They are pulling parts of the curriculum and want to have things that are useful for everyone.
In other words practical math/applied math. And this is for everyone, teaching to the lowest common denominator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m
Against the VA Math Pathways Initiative (VMPI), which will
Keep going if McAuliffe is governor so I’m
For Youngkin.

I'd be willing to consider McAuliffe if I could be sure he would dump Atif Qarni as Va Sec of Ed. I had high hopes for Qarni, but stuff like this -- https://bluevirginia.us/2021/03/va-secretary-of-education-atif-qarni-on-trumpism-being-largely-responsible-for-anti-asian-attacks-modern-day-school-segregation-governors-schools-ralph-northam-as-most-consequential-governo -- is so divisive and unhelpful. He wants to increase regulation of gifted education (one of the areas in NoVA that provides a decent foundational education akin to what most of us got in the 80s/90s). He's really invested in the culture wars, at the expense of what most of us want our kids to learn in school, meanwhile testing scores keep going down.

deBlasio just discontinued gifted ed in NYC. Coming to a town near you as long as liberals control your government!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The VEA chart doesn't address a lot of education issues.

No mention of VMPI with watered down math classes.

Probably because VPMI doesn’t “water down classes”.

They said so in their videos. They are pulling parts of the curriculum and want to have things that are useful for everyone.
In other words practical math/applied math. And this is for everyone, teaching to the lowest common denominator.

They want to blend and shift content around. They want to add other alternatives beyond calculus. That’s not “watering down”.

If anything, it was pushing some content currently considered “advanced” to the basic path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a teachers union endorse a Republican candidate? The GOP doesn’t GAF about public schools. If anything, they want to dismantle and defund them.

I’m glad VA is giving teacher unions some power - when teachers have a strong voice the kids flourish. Areas with strong teachers unions tend to have great schools.

Glad VA is finally catching up.

Are the unions what make great in places like Detroit? I think a PP upthread may be right about teacher unions focusing on teachers. It would be interesting to see if students could form their own union in some way. That could be something I might get behind. -native Detroiter

Teacher unions are one factor. So is funding.

So when DeVos defunded public schools in Detroit, she further crippled them. It was truly criminal what she did to schools there.

Throwing more money at the problems in DPS did not help. It would be better spent on social services outside of school.

Yes, we should be leaning in to support families as well, not pulling back.

Community schools
Two-generation programs
Wraparound support

They can help break the poverty cycle.