The teachers unions advocating for "concurrent learning" resulted in them losing my respect, and my vote for their backed candidates. They were speaking for only a minority of teachers who supported it over going back to the classroom. My own kids' teachers ALL wanted to be back in the classroom last spring after vaccines became available.

If I were a candidate, I’d politely decline the endorsement. It seems like it could do more harm than good!

Thanks, but no thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do not hate teachers. My partner is a public school teacher.

So then you know that Virginia doesn’t have unions. They have some associations with basically no power.

Teacher here (posted above). They aren’t unions, but if you don’t think they heavily influenced the schools being closed last year, you’ve lost your mind. Many of us wanted to teach in person to escape the hell that was concurrent. But the association speakers were too loud.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do not hate teachers. My partner is a public school teacher.

So then you know that Virginia doesn’t have unions. They have some associations with basically no power.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread should be renamed “I hate teachers.”

No, I like teachers. The union leaders didn’t represent what many of them wanted… at all. They also seriously harmed our community.

The unions you talk about is made up of... (teachers.) It would have been more harmful to the community if our teachers either died or had long COVID.

Whatever your opinion of the school closures/hybrid education, it's over. Kids are in school five days a week, and it would take another catastrophe to shut them down again. We don't have to keep talking about it.

I am a teacher and they didn’t speak for me. Concurrent was a disaster. I wanted to work with my students in person. We could have made it happen, just like many districts around the country.

OP here. I do not hate teachers. My partner is a public school teacher.

Are most teachers members of the local unions or education associations? The teachers I'm friends with in APS, FCPS, DCPS, ACPS, PWCS, PGCS, MCPS are not union members.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread should be renamed “I hate teachers.”

No, I like teachers. The union leaders didn’t represent what many of them wanted… at all. They also seriously harmed our community.

The unions you talk about is made up of... (teachers.) It would have been more harmful to the community if our teachers either died or had long COVID.

Whatever your opinion of the school closures/hybrid education, it's over. Kids are in school five days a week, and it would take another catastrophe to shut them down again. We don't have to keep talking about it.

Anonymous wrote:PP, so you won't vote for someone running for school board who received the union endorsement?

not pp, but after last year that is one of my criteria

Anonymous wrote:This thread should be renamed “I hate teachers.”

No, I like teachers. The union leaders didn’t represent what many of them wanted… at all. They also seriously harmed our community.

This thread should be renamed “I hate teachers.”

Anonymous wrote:PP, so you won't vote for someone running for school board who received the union endorsement?

It seriously makes me question voting for that person.

PP, so you won't vote for someone running for school board who received the union endorsement?

Considering their views on keeping schools closed last year, a union endorsement makes me not want to vote for the candidate. (Union, association… whatever.)

Does it make a difference to you if the union endorses a school board candidate? Why or why not? I'm from the Midwest where union endorsements are critical. But after the last 18 months in the pandemic, I now question the teachers' unions role in public education in the pandemic. I'm a progressive Democrat and usually pro-union, but I'm having a hard time regarding endorsements from unions. What is the point of say NoVA labor endorsing a candidate or most of their donations from unions rather than individual donors? Would love to hear others' thoughts. At the same time, I hesitate to vote for people who have problematic views on immigration or public health.