Letters: LAE should stop its bullying tactics

If teachers’ unions spent more time focused on ways to improve the deplorable quality of government-run schools, rather than intimidating anyone interested in the improvement of them, then there would be little need for innovative solutions like Louisiana’s recently created student scholarship program. But in typical union style, the Louisiana Association of Educators has acted like a schoolyard bully.

Last week the LAE’s attorney sent a “cease and desist”letter to each school participating in the program (including mine), threatening any means necessary, including a lawsuit, to prevent the implementation of the program.

Sent immediately after the LAE lost yet another legal battle to impose an injunction against the program, the letter smacks of the circular, vapid logic that has come to define the LAE’s rhetoric. The letter, for example, repeatedly refers to the program being “blatantly unconstitutional,”but never once provides a reason to substantiate such a spurious claim.

More important than this schoolyard tiff is the real issue that the LAE purposefully obscures by its expensive, protracted legal shenanigans: the necessity of our public schools being reformed. In the same way that the “educrats” and curriculum revisionists have egregiously diminished the quality of education that our children receive, their unions — which, by the way, represent only 12 percent of teachers in Louisiana, according to a study by The Center for Union Facts in Washington, D.C., based on figures from the National Center for Education Statistics — continue to be the obstinate obstacles to improvement.

But what the LAE and their attorney did not bargain for is that many of us involved in education in Louisiana are ready to break the yoke of power that the teachers unions have held for so many decades. Though we did not start this fight, we will finish it — and the children of Louisiana will be better off as a result.

Kevin Roberts, headmaster

John Paul the Great Academy

Lafayette

Comments

1) Comment by teacherguy - 03/08/2012

Good job Traveler...I can't remember what I wrote, but it was in defense of the unions and I was tagged for inappropriate content...good move to start out knocking the unions in your commentary. Maybe I got carried away and said something antisocial????

2) Comment by Traveler - 03/08/2012

I am not going to defend LAE for threatening to file lawsuits against individual schools that accept voucher students----the move reflects abysmally poor judgement on the part of LAE. One can only hope that the leadership of LAE will recognize and admit their error, blame it on the heat, and move on with their lawsuit against the state. That being said, remember that I am the Traveler----I go many places and I know many people. The writer of the letter [and many other critics of the unions have similarly expressed the same idea] begins his missive thus: " If teachers' unions spent more time focused on ways to improve the deplorable quality of government-run schools...." I recall sitting in an EBRP School Board meeting some years ago, when one of the board members expressed frustration over the combined problems of disrespectful student behavior and declining student performance. The board member said to a union representative who was at the podium, "If you teachers are so smart, then tell us how to fix it." The union representative replied (and I will never forget this), "Invite us to the table, and we will!" The public may not know that teachers are not allowed to serve on any EBRP school board committees, nor or their union representatives allowed to serve. In fact, if teachers attend those committee meetings (where most of the real business of the system is decided), the teacher can speak only if recognized by the committee chair and then is allowed only three minutes. Likewise, when teachers want to speak at school board meetings, they must wait until each board member has has all the "microphone time" that he/she wants----and the teacher is again allowed only three minutes, and the board president can limit the number of speakers on any issue. I am informed that both local unions in the past have made overtures to the school board, offering extensive help with improving curricula, teaching strategies, classroom management, and so on----the board has accepted some limited contributions from the local unions, usually in the form of "workshops." However, if the board were open to the full participation that the unions are prepared to offer (by accessing resources from their national affiliates), huge opportunities and benefits could be opened up. Clearly, the EBRP School Board wished, and wishes, to remain autocratic----even when it's obvious that by doing so, they are shutting out the very people----the teachers----who could tell them how to fix many of their problems.

3) Comment by DMJ - 03/08/2012

I just read an article making fun of Louisiana for funneling tax dollars to private schools who teach that the world is 6000 years old. Thanks, Jindal and enablers! Bang up job making Louisiana seem even dumber than it actually is! That's no easy feat.

4) Comment by warreni - 03/08/2012

As no one seems to have addressed the obvious, here, Mr. Roberts is the rationale for LAE's "spurious claim": your school and many of the other recipients of the MFP dollars (which are constitutionally set aside for public education) promote a specific religious viewpoint as part of your educational curriculum. By spending public funds to promote a specific religious viewpoint, the voucher program, as presently designed, violates the Establishment Clause. As others have suggested, would you be as comfortable with the idea that Louisiana promotes animism, Taoism, or Islam?

5) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 03/08/2012

yes teacherguy the Advocate brown shirts are busy little creatures

6) Comment by 8.3 - 02/08/2012

"deplorable quality of government-run schools" wonder how your John Paul the Great ACT scores stack up against Baton Rouge High? Or is that private infromatin? So taxpayer voucher money can be used at Muslim schools? Which religions are to be sanctioned for state funding? Jihad, anyone?

7) Comment by teacherguy - 02/08/2012

@CountryBoysCanSurvive - my comment was deemed inappropriate? LOL It had nothing to do with chicken and fish! ;)

8) Comment by shad-o - 02/08/2012

It all becomes clear now. 1. Pass a bill with a catchy name that includes the word "Science" in it. 2. Assure everyone that it's not a "Creationism Bill" and that it won't be taught in public schools or have any pubic funding and violate separation of church and state. 3. Pass a Voucher Program that gives "Private" schools public money without finding out any background about them. 4. Profit and Creationism with public funds for the fat cats to get richer and fatter! The whole world laughs at our state as we collectively suffer and slide back further and further into the dark ages.

9) Comment by DMJ - 02/08/2012

Gee...a guy who's running a religious school that will benefit from vouchers. I can't understand why he would be against the Teachers' Unions suit. (intense sarcasm implied)

10) Comment by Being_Stupid - 02/08/2012

ABOLISH FOOD STAMPS / VOUCHERS, and lets elect a Grocery Store Board to oversee Public Food Assistance and micromanage Public Grocery Stores. We need a Grocery Worker & Meat Butchers Union to also make certain that the Public Grocery Store Workers receive a decent salary, pension, retirement, and tenure regardless of their performance. I do not want my tax money going to Hi Nabor, Albertsons, Whole Foods, or Matherns Grocery Stores. MY TAX MONEY SHOULD NOT BE USED TO PURCHASE KOSHER OR ORGANIC FOODS, THESE JEWS & CATHOLICS SHOULD BE FORCED TO EAT PORK & MEAT ON FRIDAY DURING LENT, IF NOT THEY CAN PURCHASE FOOD ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT FOOD ASSISTANCE & MY TAX MONEY. The Government can manage a grocery store better than the private sector. Abolish all VOUCHERS NOW!!!! Including Food Stamps.

11) Comment by Being_Stupid - 02/08/2012

Imagine if instead of Food Stamps or Food Vouchers, the Government managed Public Grocery Stores. No more Private Grocery Stores selling food to people with food vouchers where they can pick and choose which type or quality of food. Instead the Government would dictate to the people which Public Grocery Store they would have to go to get their food. We should model Public Food Assistance much like we do Public Education. Abolish all voucher systems, including Food Stamps and allow the Government to takeover and micromanage not only public schools, but public grocery stores too.

12) Comment by 8point6 - 02/08/2012

Thank you, Mr. Roberts for this letter. I would comment, however, I would just repeating myself.

13) Comment by timesright - 02/08/2012

Bullying is not what's happening here. A letter of caution is within legal rights. Protecting the taxpayers' money is also within legal rights. It's wonderful to begin seeing the public wake up to what is really happening here with the voucher plan. Removing taxpayer money to church schools. I would say that is unconstitutional and I'm not a lawyer!

14) Comment by Whatnow - 02/08/2012

@chem. You said that discipline is pretty much gone in public schools. That is something that neither the unions nor the teachers wanted. That may be the reason so many parents want their kids out of the public schools. No one is addressing this problem.

15) Comment by Whatnow - 02/08/2012

"Their unions — which, by the way, represent only 12 percent of teachers in Louisiana". I wonder why it's only 12 percent?

16) Comment by keith1966 - 02/08/2012

Oh one other thing ,Mr. Kevin Roberts headmaster John Paul the Great Academy of Lafayette Louisiana, how much more income is this program putting in your pockets? Let's see 100 new students @ 8,500.00 per student is 850,000.00 in new money coming into your school and you didn't have to leave your desk. I would be in favor of it also......LAZY!!!!

17) Comment by keith1966 - 02/08/2012

I am 100% against the voucher program. Everything written below I agree with, but 1 thing people are not saying about this program is the income factor about who can receive the vouchers. Just because my wife and I go to work every day our child is not eligible for the program! All this is doing is creating more entitlement for a class of people that get everything from the working people's tax dollars now! If they really had the kids in mind when they made this program why not open it up for ALL children?

18) Comment by CountryBoysCanSurvive - 02/08/2012

Re: Catholic Schools....as a past student of a Catholic school and a recipient of many a whacks across the knuckles, with a yard stick, by the good Nuns of St. Anthony makes me wonder, How are the Sisters going to whack the knuckles of one of these new students, that is carrying a Glock in his book sack?

19) Comment by Lannonmac - 02/08/2012

Wow, Elderly Man and Chem are right on target! The idea of funneling taxpayer money to pay for a private school education is simply appalling. I thought the Gov. was a “Small Government” kind of guy, but it is hard to see how shifting public funds to private schools promotes “Small Government”. Kind of sounds like a “giveaway program” to me. If you want good schools you have to do three things. 1. Reduce class size, which costs money; 2. Have good facilities, which costs money; and, 3. Have community support. Take a look at the Zachary School District and you will see what happens when a community takes an interest in supporting academic excellence. Over the past decade Zachary has issued around $100 million bonds to build new facilities, attract quality teachers and support academic excellence. Not only are Zachary residents willing to foot the bill to pay for a quality public education, they are active participants in the Zachary community schools, showing their support in a multitude of ways. The results speak for themselves by having the NUMBER 1 SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA for the past 7 YEARS. Gov. Jindal is going in the wrong direction, again.

20) Comment by TheTardis - 02/08/2012

On the news the other night they reported that the new accountability standards for voucher students only required the voucher school to attain a grade of D to continue accepting voucher students. I also read that if they don't meet that standard, they can keep the voucher students they already have. I don't see the benefit if sending a student from a C public school to a D voucher school.

21) Comment by teacherguy - 02/08/2012

****Comment Removed for Violation of Terms of Use****

22) Comment by Bighug - 02/08/2012

All I wished to say was said very well in the comments below. I agree with all.

23) Comment by Elderly Man - 02/08/2012

Spending tax dollars in religious schools still appalls me; even excellent Roman Catholic schools do not deserve the money. Further, it is time to tax religious institutions. Exemption from property and other taxes owned or operated by religious groups is a subsidy of religion. It undermines religious freedom.

24) Comment by pylonshadow - 02/08/2012

If teacher's unions are so awful we should expect those states that disallow collective bargaining to be leading the pack. We should see also see 88% union-free charter schools outperforming public schools. Unfortunately those fifteen teacher's union-free states are at tbe bottom of the heap year after year. Likewise, the recent Stanford University study (sponsored by pro-charter school foundations!) found charter schools only outperformed public schools 17% of the time, while doing signifigantly worse 37% of the time. To paraphrase Bob Dylan: Something's going on but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Roberts?

25) Comment by vicwill - 02/08/2012

Once again I will ask, why were C schools included in the voucher plan, and what does this plan do to actually improve the "low-performing schools"? Also what proof is there that the voucher schools will do a better job than the public schools? Will this be like the RSD and Charter School situation where those schools have performed much worse than their public school counterparts in EBR and other districts? If private schools are the answer, then why was the bar set much lower for them than the public schools?

26) Comment by vicwill - 02/08/2012

I would also like to add that community support certainly wouldn't hurt the schools either.

27) Comment by chem - 02/08/2012

Well, Mr. Roberts, I do not belong to the teacher's union, but I am against public money going to private schools, and in particular, religious schools. I hope the unions prevail in their lawsuits. If parents want to send their kids to a school that teaches religion, then they can pay for it out of their own pockets, not with public funds. The reason that public schools fail has nothing to do with teachers or teacher unions. There have always been good teachers and bad teachers, and the bad ones typically don't last. The reason some schools fail is the socio-economic makeup of the school. Schools in very poor or crime ridden neighborhoods ofter do poorly compared to schools in middle class and above neighborhoods. One of the prime reasons that certain schools fail is because of parents. Parents take no interest in their kids education. They do not make them do homework or study or even attend classes in many cases. That is why some schools fail. Another reason is that discipline is pretty much gone in public schools. That is something that neither the unions nor the teachers wanted. That is a result of politicians and parents. Far too many parents take up for their delinquent kids rather than support the teacher/school. And the answer is certainly not spending public funds to have kids indoctrinated into some cult and be taught that the Earth is only a few thousand years old and that the Loch Ness Monster is real, therefore that disproves evolution. That sort of teaching does a great disservice to the kids.