Читать книгу The New Principal - Margaret Carter - Страница 11

Schools with strong and active unions will function and focus differently than schools without union influence. There will be a union handbook. Become thoroughly familiar with this legally binding agreement. Some staff members seem to hide behind union rules to mask their ineffectiveness in the classroom while preserving their right to remain employed. Make certain that you have introduced yourself to the union representative and the teacher representative before you have to meet them in a more contentious setting.

The role of the teachers union has changed since the 1970s when unions were new. Teacher unions were formed, in part, due to unfair practices that were in place. Such practices included incompetence, negligence, or ignorance on the part of some school districts or administrators. There was also a need to outline standard practices of employment and working conditions within schools. Over time, school unions became powerful, at times more powerful than the district itself. This resulted in incompetent staff members who were able to remain on the job, resulting in the suffering of children’s education. The relationship between unions and schools became adversarial.

At this writing, teacher unions have shifted toward working with teachers in conjunction with the administration for the good of both parties. It is a much more collaborative process, which helped children’s education.