An Open Letter to the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail, Re: Teacher Collective Bargaining Coverage
Dear Editors,
I don’t suppose you’d be interested in some ideas for responsible journalistic pieces, would you? How about ones that could increase readership and ad sales?
While I realize that I’m not in charge of the newsroom of national publication such as yours, I am a former columnist for a couple of small newspapers. I’m also a communications consultant that specializes in garnering media representation for small NGO’s. I do know a little about what makes print outlets tick. And I do have a knack for creating content that people like to read. Or so I’ve heard.
But on to my ideas.
Throughout the recent labour disagreement between the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation and the Government of Ontario, I’ve read plenty about calls for teacher wage increases in the (web) pages of your publications, but very little about the fact that the Teachers Union actually offered pay freezes during several stages of the negotiation process. I’ve read about sick day payouts at retirement, but nothing about how this has already been scrapped by many of the Boards and is already being grandfathered out by the others. Sure, I know that this is usually just alluded to, or is delivered in quotes by others, but it is still prevalent. Meanwhile, coverage of post-legislative actions on the part of teachers has also been one-sided. A Star article from today, for instance, reads: “Two York Region school boards… have scrapped after-school sports.” It fails to mention that there are a total of 34 secondary schools in that particular Board.
I know that ad revenue depends on a certain amount of pot-stirring, but shouldn’t unbiased reporting come first? Here’s the thing though — here’s your ace in the hole: In this case, with the huge numbers of teachers (and people sympathetic to teachers) representing a massive readership, a less-biased coverage of events may, in fact, lead to an increase of hits, clickthroughs, and advertizing opportunities. And if teachers, educators, and school board employees are as well-off as they are portrayed to be in your papers, then you’ll be encouraging an audience of readers with vast disposable incomes. Realistically, of course, they’re not that well-off. But they do represent a large number of professionals with respectable salaries. Just the type of audience your advertizing clients must like.
With that in mind, a few suggestions:
It would be informative to read an article about the misconstrued facts and arguments of this labour disagreement. You could report on what teachers actually make rather than the wildly inflated numbers that are regularly tossed around. Or provide a researched study on the number of hours that teachers work per day, and per week, and how that compares to workers in other sectors. How about a comparison report on teacher salaries vs. those of other professionals with 5-6 years of post-secondary education (you could add to this the number of teachers who have gone on to get their Masters degrees in hopes of hanging on to a job in a rapidly disappearing work environment and point out the number of teachers with 7-8 years of education). You could do a focus piece on the number of teachers eligible for sick day retirement payouts versus the number of teachers who are not, exposing the budgetary myth that these government claims represent. You could do another piece on the large number of schools and the thousands of teachers who continue, even now, to do extra-curricular work, and why. Certainly there is space for a story on the major society-wide ramifications of removing a constitutionally protected right to collective bargaining. This is a precedent, really, that could affect people in every union of the province — both private and public sector. And, man, what a story there is there.
Not entirely surprising, current Star and Globe coverage is somewhat similar to that of the previous two rounds of collective bargaining negotiations (under the Tories and Liberals) when the Union kept saying “class sizes” and you kept printing “wage increases.”
The way I see it, and I’m sure I’m not the only writer/communications expert to think this way, stories like those suggested above would still rile people up. They would still feed the comment sections. And they would probably still keep the advertizers satisfied through angry web hits and teeth-gnashing print sales (a rarity in this new age of newspaper journalism). The difference is, is that the op-ed columns and comment sections might actually contain a few more relevant facts. A spin-off would be that the content would be refreshing to many of your readers. Particularly the ones who feel under-served by the surface-level reporting that is currently being offered.
Listen, a lot of us understand that print journalism is hurting right now — that newspapers are losing out to the large numbers of people who are getting their news primarily from the web. We understand that your budgets are slashed and that your newsroom staff have less time to do primary research and interviews. But, really, if you are forced into superficial coverage, where it is cheap and easy to just print the sound bites, media scrum platitudes, and quickly rewritten media releases, could you not at least take the time to balance it out by regurgitating both streams of the argument? Sure, the scrums at Queen’s Park are both sexier and easier to find, but I am confident that you are just as able to quote the Union’s Communication’s Officer as you are the Province’s.
At the same time, it would make for better reading, healthier debate, and, while I know this isn’t at the top of your list, a better sense of journalistic integrity.
It would make your news, well… newsworthy.
Wouldn’t that be something?
As an aside, I do find it odd that both of your publications take such delight in casting Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford, as a populist leader (and, really, I can’t argue with that) while at the same time taking a strongly populist journalistic stance on how you report on the issue of education and this current labour disagreement.
I almost feel like I should be asking you for a ride to football practice.
102 thoughts on “An Open Letter to the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail, Re: Teacher Collective Bargaining Coverage”
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Really? All I’ve got to say is Wow, You must be a teacher or closely related to one. As these are the only people I know that are sympathetic to them. They are on board the gravy train.
If all you can say is “wow” and not address the very clearly outlined issues here, I guess that is a statement in itself.
Do you know the answers to these questions? Have you decided to explore them yourself? Do you even want to know the answers?
Heck, if they did articles like this, with properly researched numbers, and you are so sure of your supposedly reasoned “all I’ve got to say is Wow,” wouldn’t you actually approve of them?
Wouldn’t it lend credence to your beliefs?
@ Suzanne. You are one of the ignorant, misinformed people that feels the need to spout your opinion when you don`t know what you`re talking about. Congratulations. It`s too bad I don`t know what you do for a living, so I can make my own ignorant comments.
Suzanne: making a comment in reference to the “people you know” is the exact type of statement this letter is criticizing. Unless you personally know a significant percentage if the population and have polled them, and have numbers to support your point, your comment is totally useless and only serves to perpetuate uneducated, biased judgement towards a very complex issue.
I taught for many years and am now retired. I have had so many people say that we are rich and we get two months off every year. Most teachers continue to take courses throughout the summer at their own cost. Even if you do not take aq course, you may get a 6 week vacation if you don’t spend most of the time getting ready for the next school year. Most people that have worked anywhere for any length of time get that for holidays and they can take theirs any time. Teachers only have the summer. Can’t go south for the cold winter. It it burns me when I hear people say we are on the gravy train. They obviously do not know what a teacher does every day and at least one day on the weekend. In elementary school we do not have text books to give to our children and say get to work. We have a curriculum that we have to follow and then go and find the materials so you are able to teach the children the best that you can. Most of the time anything spent on materials you want comes from your own pocket. If teachers were paid by the hour, you couldn’t afford us. As far as gratuity for our sick days, well, after working for 30 years in a profession don’t most professionals get a severence package. Ask your MPP how much they can get for working only three or four years. The teachers can get up to $60,00 after all those years but an MPP gets at least 240,00 dollars for 3 or 4 years. How is that for excessive spending?
I wish everyone knew the real reason behind the teacher’s complaints. The biggest complaint has nothing to do with getting more money. It is the fact that the government is taking away their bargaining rights. We are supposed to live in a democracy. Doesn’t sound as if anyone but them had a say in this Bill. Wait till it happens to others in the country. Then you will realize that we are moving backwards instead of forwards in our country.
Wahhhhhhhh newspapers write articles that don’t kiss our ass!! Get a life. Quit teaching and become a journalist if you’re so disappointed with what’s being written. I think these articles are great. Can’t wait to read the Toronto Star one about what the teachers are saying to their students.
The one thing that I have to say is “thank you”. I’m not even going to go into all of the different issues. I just wanted to say thanks…for listening and for being aware that we (teachers) are not money-grubbing leaches, trying to make our millions from the public purse while doing as little as possible. It is nice to know that someone outside of the profession (and it IS a profession), understands.
Thank you.
oh, Suzanne… there just aren’t words for you. But, here’s a couple that come to mind: Bitter and misinformed, perhaps? And gravy train? really? Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, dear, before deigning to judge. sigh….
What I find intriguing is how the people who are interested in actually seeing some of the answers of these questions come to light are polite and thoughtful in their responses. And the ones who aren’t are aggressive, rude, and utterly disinterested in positive dialogue.
Now, who do you think is going to be taken more seriously? And who would you rather see as a positive influence on kids and society as a whole.
Donald – Thank you for writing this piece. I hope it inspires some misinformed people to do some digging. I have been trying to stay away from the media and reading the comments some people make after certain articles. It’s been quite a downer to see such a biased opinion in the bigger newspapers. Does the government have them in their pocket? I question what the bigger picture is besides destroying constitional rights.
I also wonder why there is such hatred for another form of parenting? Are people resentful that teachers spend more time with their own children than the children spend at home? Are people angry with women (in general, there are many more women than men in the profession)? If so, why? Did no one out of the angry commenters ever have a kind teacher that helped them at some point in their life?
Those are just a few things that have been on my mind. I don’t have many answers but would love for some debate (true debate!) on the issues mentioned in your article.
Students are often taught how to question, infer, and read between the lines… Looks as though many adults missed out on those valueable lessons. Pity.
Come on Globe! Come on Star! Get it together please for the sake of the public…
The majority of new teachers are leaving school with 30,000-50,000 dollars in student debt. Guess what a substitute teacher makes? A substitute teacher that works 3-5 days a week makes between 18,000 – 22,000 dollars a year. And this is with waiting by the phone hoping for a phone call so that they can go to work and pay off their wonderful student loans. Not all teachers make a decent wage. Some have to wait for years just to get permanent or even a contract. We do this because we love our job! How many people can truly say that?
Donald, thank you for writing this and for informing those who are interested. I truly appreciate it as a teacher.
Interesting that someone posted this:
“Wahhhhhhhh newspapers write articles that don’t kiss our ass!! Get a life. Quit teaching and become a journalist if you’re so disappointed with what’s being written.” The last time I checked, teachers were people who hang around in classrooms and work with children. I double-checked and confirmed that anyone who has actually READ this article will see that it’s written by… Um… a JOURNALIST. The author clearly stated that they are a former columnist who now works as a “communications consultant that specializes in garnering media representation for small NGO’s”. That’s a career move a JOURNALIST makes.
Thanks to Kristen, Jen, Nicole for the kind words. And to everyone who offered constructive thoughts to this argument.
This post had something like 12 000 hits. On my fairly small-reaching blog, that’s a pretty good indicator that the topic is one that is resonating in our society.
I hope the debate keeps up. And I hope that some of the issues I have written about see their way to print.
EDIT: Make that over 44 000 hits now.
You poor bleeding heart teachers. I am a civil servant and am with a group that has already had there pay froozen for a year and will for 2 more. You do get summers off and have a lot of spare time during the work day. Oh I am sure you are marking and preparing for the next class, but I doubt it.
No one forced you into to profession of teaching, you choose it and hopefully for the right reasons, although it doesn’t sound like it.
Your poor sick bank, and all the long hours you work. To be honest I am thinking a lot of peoples patients are wearing thing with you poor teachers.
And Donald before you tell me to get my facts straight I have a lot of freinds that are teachers. So when you decide to write an article maybe you should get all of your facts straight.
You poor teachers should start thinking about everyone without a sick bank and no pension and even people losong there jobs. Wait that would take sympathy and empathy something you poor teachers don’t have if you are going to hold the students hostage over your issues.
I wanted to send a comment to the teachers not participating in extra curricular activities. I understand there are ongoing issues with the Ontario Government and that the teachers feel this is their way to be heard. I am a supporter of Unions however not at the expense of children.
My daughter is in Grade 7, on Friday I brought her into the school for soccer practice only to be told there was not one, she cried as she told me there had not been a practice all week. As a parent it is heart breaking, as a child she does not understand.
The Liberals will not get my vote in the next election and I would assume they will not get the vote of the Teacher’s Union. This is the way to be heard.
I really hope that the teacher’s will re-evalute their position, as the ones who are loosing as a result of the Unions actions are the children not the Ontario Government. The Ontario Government doesn’t care about my child but you are suppose to, isn’t that why you became teachers to begin with?
One comment to you Alverne, teachers don’t just get the summer, last time I looked they got 2 weeks at Christmas, a week at March Break and stat holidays. Cry me a river my friend and look at what everyone else works. And by the way the 6 weeks in the summer added with the rest of the holidays works out to about 10 weeks holidays.
It is hard to fathom the lost values we are brought up to value, the right to grow up believing in trust, in the reality of living in a community where lies surrender to truth, the right to find oneself in the warmth of a caring teacher dedicated to mold the minds of our children into becoming doctors lawyers statesmen nurses or bus drivers. But sometime in our progression as a society truth has little value in the hearts and minds of people. We have grown so bitter to our own miseries and short comings that many find comfort and sadly satisfaction in the what the Ojibway call rascals that whisper in our ear to seed envy into our thoughts and actions. The government knows how to divide and conquer, they know how to exclude the values of truth honesty and trust and use envy to their advantage. Playing to the greed of others by the idea that you are without while the teacher in this case, is the one with is a cleaver tool that i hope will finally loose to people being fed up with being told lies. Stand strong writer I’m with you
Did you send this to any of the major papers/news reporting agencies? If not, would you object if someone, say me, were to send it? Obviously you would be credited and a link to your blog would be included.
Excellent article, but you just barely touched on the real elephant in the room that no paper or journalist talks about. Collective bargaining is a constitutional right. That right has been suspended for the convenience of a government’s budgetary priorities.
What other constitutional rights can be suspended, willy-nilly, for the convenience of another government, using this as a precedent? The civil rights community and the press should be all over this.
Legislating people back-to-work is a bad, but accepted practice… after negotiations have failed. But banning negotiations before they can start, about an inconvenient issue like salaries is different.
What if freedom of assembly, or freedom of speech becomes inconvenient?
“Let’s just ban that for 2 years. Hey, McGuinty set the precedent. We’re just following it.”
I don’t know what makes me shudder the most. The idea, or the fact that our press seems oblivious to the issue.
JND,
Just the Star and Globe. Not surprisingly, no response.
Please feel free to share at will.
Cheers!
David,
Instead of asking me not to ask you to get your facts straight, maybe you could, instead, volunteer to get your facts straight.
Speaking of the straight facts that you mentioned:
You realize that from very early in the bargaining process, the Union suggested a pay freeze, right? And it was still on the table when the back to work legislation was passed? You also realize that bankable sick days is in the process of being grandfathered out in most Boards, right? And that, after reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the Catholic Board, the Government now has that Board phasing it out in a similar way to what the Public Board is already currently doing, right? I’m not sure of the status of bankable sick days during the latter part of negotiations, but one thing is for certain, they can’t be negotiated when negotiation is null and void.
You also realize that, if you compare teacher salaries to other professional salaries across Canada, that they stack up pretty closely, right? Within a few a few thousand dollars per year of: nurses, accountants, engineers of almost any types, IT professionals, junior architects, etc. Though, often, teachers have a few more years of education.
Really, a lot of careers are based on years of education — or specialized education — which is why teachers (and IT people, and nurses, and…) make more than someone with a general B.A. or college diploma). And substantially more than people without a degree.
This is why people spend tens of thousands of dollars and many years on education: to get a more personally rewarding and high-paying career.
You also realize that the $100K salaries that you read about are a myth right? If you are a principal who has post-graduate degrees, that’s where you end up. You realize what percentage of the teacher workforce that is, right? Similarly, the Manager of a municipal department, say, the Manager of Transportation of a small city (a similar level of career growth), would make as much or more than this. A quick look at the existing contract could outline all of this for you.
I realize that “getting facts straight” is an inconvenience. But it does help. And it is a much better option than mean-spirited baseless attacks.
A lot of this info can be found on Google. A bit more of it can be found by asking the right questions.
Its not just the Star and Globe and Mail:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/12/mcguinty-asks-teachers-to-please-not-withdraw-from-extracurricular-activities/
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/12/matt-gurney-ontario-teachers-target-kids-now-courts-later/
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/17/brampton-students-protest-loss-of-extracurricular-activities
http://www.cp24.com/news/students-protest-cuts-to-extracurricular-activities-1.958804
Nobody is onside with the teachers and I cant blame them. A spat with their employer and they take it out on the students.
What kind of journalist would even write a article like you suggest?? Maybe a ex teacher or someone married to a teacher. And what makes you think teachers are so special that they deserve a article extolling their virtues? Its a job like anyone else. Are their articles about how hard CAW workers work? Their duties and tasks? Stop putting yourselves up on pedestals. For every good teacher I had there were 5 ho hum ones that took off right after that last bell.
@Jen, dont make me vomit with the “another form of parenting” line. In no way shape or form do I want a teacher to even consider they are a form of parent. Your job is to teach, thats where the line is drawn
Psst, Mandlo, I do believe that the teachers who are protesting are actually following your last bit of advice:
“Your job is to teach, thats where the line is drawn.”
The ones who are protesting are teaching, and drawing the line.
What they’re not doing is: paying for school supplies, driving kids to things like mountain bike practice or swim meets, getting them interested in extra-curricular activities that will shape them as human beings rather than merely students in a classroom.
You know, the things that parents do. 😉
Can’t have it both ways.
Donald you are a sad excuse for a journalist with a bias opinion. You obviously has some sort of vested interest as far as teachers are concerned. Mean spirited attacks? Did you see how you responded to Suzanne??? I guess not. Get my facts straight? Well my man I am one of the civil servants that signed up for a pay freeze long before it was asked? Maybe you and your sympathy should take a look at the back bone of Canada the blue collar workers that have been taking it on the chin for a while and maybe throw your support behind them.
You are grossly uneducated to the facts about how much teachers make. Next time the sunshine list comes out see how many teachers are on it.
I can’t believe you say I have mean spirited attacks. I guess yours aren’t because if people don’t agree with you they are just plain wrong or stupid right???
You are a pathetic excuse for a journalist, but hey the journalists motto is “If it bleeds it leads.”
David,
Thank you. Your post illustrates exactly what I was referring to earlier in these comments.
I couldn’t have found a better example.
Cheers,
d.
Psst, Donald,
Tell us what your vested interested is, people have asked it. Spouse, mother, father, sister, you, a teacher? Come on pony up. Be honest. I forgot you can’t be honest you are a journalist that likes to sensationalize things.
Come on. For once tell the public and your readers the truth.
Your vested interest please.
For once?
I write regularly about my life. In my neck of the woods, I’m a fairly public figure.
I also write regularly about how economics and government cuts affect people in virtually every sector.
My wife is a teacher. But that is not why I write this. I’ve written about how Monsanto kills family farms, though I’ve never owned a farm. I’ve written about hockey contracts, but I’m not a hockey player — though I always wanted to be.
I’ve been blue-collar. As a younger person, I worked in a warehouse, in a factory, as a landscaper. I’ve written about the importance of labour — and of those unions.
I come from the Maritimes (or, rather, my family does, but it seems like home to me) and written about the plight of the fishermen and some of the government mandated cuts that destroyed their lifestyles, but I’ve never cast a net.
I’ve written about the effect of the government elimination of the Wheat Board on the livelihood of farmers, but never planted a grain.
My parents were middle-managment in non-glamourous mid-tier offices, and I’ve written about the importance of Canada Pension and how it affects mid-income earners.
My grandfather was a miner, and I’ve written songs about mining.
I guess my vested interest is this:
We all work. And many of us work hard. And we all deserve respect and understanding for what we do. We exist on different pay-grids, but that is a matter of education, experience, expertise, talent, intellect, drive, and a desire to choose your own career path.
My vested interest is in knocking down walls, removing prejudice, and seeking truth.
And for looking for solutions that will help better all of us, in some way, some form. Through healthy dialogue. Not through anger. And not through dragging others through the slime and the mud.
When heavy-handed government mandates eliminate the opportunity for discourse and bargaining, it hurts us all: desk-jockey office workers, fishermen, farmers, factory workers, teachers, you name it.
Really, if anyone can complain, it is me. Because, really, you don’t find many people making less money than writers. 😉
Donald,
Thank You. Your lack of a post is exactly what we the readers wanted to know.
You couldn’t have “said” it better with a lack of a response.
Cheers, D
Sorry, David, I was working and didn’t get to your response in a timely manner. Please see above.
But, gee wiz. I’m glad that I’ve got a following of “we, the readers.”
It means that people are interested enough to care.
Um, David, did you even READ his response? He stated that his wife is an educator. He ‘ponied’ up, as you say. He has absolutely nothing to hide.
Do you know WHY much of the public thinks that someone who supports the teachers has a ‘vested interest’?? It’s because ONLY a teacher or someone close to a teacher knows the reality of the profession. The public doesn’t see the mounds of marking brought home, the hours of extra-curricular activities, the challenge of dealing with struggling students, the thousands of their own dollars and countless hours spent to continue professional development, etc…
The field of education attracts a very special type of person and these are the people we’d like to continue shaping the futures of our youth. However, if educators continue to be treated as unprofessional and selfish with no concern for the students, that’s exactly what we’re going to get in the coming years.
@ David – I’m a bit confused about your one comment. What lack of a post are you talking about?
@ Mandl – As a teacher and as a parent I see that the two can be very interconnected with lines at times blurry. Sorry that you feel sick to your stomach when you consider that a teacher parents children. I also wonder if you have been around children recently? Many are sent to school with little or no food. Many have issues interacting with others. Many have no one in their lives saying ANYTHING remotely positive to them. Try having to call Child Services because you suspect a case of neglect and abuse. So yes, I parent while I teach.
Basically if you look up parenting online :
(here’s a link if you have time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenting ) you will find that “Parenting (or child rearing) is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the biological relationship.[1]
Parenting is usually done by the biological parents of the child in question,[2] although governments and society take a role as well. In many cases, orphaned or abandoned children receive parental care from non-parent blood relations. Others may be adopted, raised in foster care, or placed in an orphanage.”
I hope if you are a parent, you are doing the best you can. I am sure you do. I don’t think that my parenting style is better than yours. As a teacher, I hope to be a partner with a parent in the best interest of their child. What’s so wrong with that?
I don’t think I am better than you. I just love my job and want to help as many kids out in life. Whether it is teaching them interesting facts about planets, how to conjugate verbs, how to problem solve out in the yard, and what to say when they are upset. If I have to comfort them verbally when they are upset from what happened the night before at home – so be it! If I have to make 24 IEPS times 2 each year – so be it! If I have to take a pay freeze – so be it. But I will not stand by and watch the government destroy and take away the rights of its people… Which is why we are upset. Collective bargaining.
@ Donald – I really enjoy your posts. You have quite a way with words 🙂
What do you think about this?
http://www.weareontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCF-RPT-FallingBehind-20120829.pdf
@Mandl
Ontario law requires teachers to perform various duties from a parental perspective. For example, teachers must be positive role models for their students and must act as kind, firm and judicious parents when disciplining students.
Under the common law, teachers also have a duty of care to protect their students from all reasonable foreseeable risks of injury or harm. The standard of care is that of the careful or prudent parent (also called the Reasonably Prudent Parent Doctrine). This standard has long been applied to the actions of educators in relation to their students, and is a practice implementation of the Education Act.
This is the legal implementation of Myers vs. Peel County Board of Education, 1981.
Jen,
Thank you for the kind words. And the compliment. Words help me pay the mortgage.
As for the We Are Ontario document, I agree in principal. I’d have to take a close look at it to give a full opinion. I can say that much of my “day job” writing and consulting is for NGO’s and public sector clients. And I recognize that many of our social sector issues are complicated and exacerbated by a trickle-down of responsibility.
Too many of our social, health, education, and environmental programs have been cut by all three levels of government and passed onto non-profit organizations, and then funded piecemeal, when and if the governments responsible see it as a priority. As a result, many of these programs — and the people they serve — fall between the cracks.
At the same time, governments are crying poor and asking individuals, families, workers, small businesses, and organizations to take the brunt — even as they have been busily cutting programming and funding for NGO-led programs. All the while, there is a surplus of capital that could be harvested in order to lower taxes and reduce the crunch and income-cuts that middle-income earners are feeling. For governments, it is much easier to take from the middle and bottom than to risk alienating the funds from the top. Particularly when close to election time.
Meanwhile, the gap between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots, increases. And this is felt by teachers, factory workers, small businesses, farmers, you name it. The middle class is disappearing. Is it any wonder that blue collar workers, such as the ones David has been championing, are scared, upset, and bitter? Is it any wonder that professionals are trying to at least hold on to a semblance of what they’ve worked for?
It should be noted that, while the workers that people like David are standing up for have had their salaries slashed, their big bosses have gotten richer. Have been bailed out, at times, by governments. And have not ponied up tax dollars to match. Man, I’d be pissed.
And the under-employed, the unemployed, the sick, the minority residents, the… well, you get the idea… they spiral into deeper hardship.
Lashing out at professionals, such as teachers, who are making little more (or less) than similarly educated people in other sectors is not the answer here.
Asking why corporate and upper-tax bracket taxation is not being hit in the same way that middle and lower-tax brackets — along with program funding — is, might be a better question.
The government — the governments, really, because it is happening at municipal, provincial, and federal levels — have been deflecting that kind of questioning, though. It is self-preservation.
They’d prefer to see the slings and arrows aimed at the people who are not responsible for decisions, for funding, for equitable taxation measures.
They totally dig this divide and conquer approach.
After all, it is a lot more comfortable when the general public is mad at the teachers (or insert any other group here) rather than the policy makers and the corporations and wealthy individuals that prop them up.
I’m a little bit with David on this one. It is absolute bullshit that we are taking it on the chin, when it is taxation inequalities and government fiscal mismanagement that is the real issue.
And yet we have people bickering over millions in wages/benefits while billions have been mismanaged and under-collected.
I think most of us are on the same page here. Some of us are just lashing out at the wrong people.
Donald
Thank you for how well you wrote that article.
I am the wife of a teacher an appreciate everything
You brought to the surface.
Interesting reading, these comments!
Here’s what I don’t understand. Many, if not most teachers are also parents. As parents, we want our schools to be the best they can be for OUR kids too.
As teachers, we are trained in the art and science of education. We spend our days in the classroom, so we see what works and what needs to be changed. In other words, we have the training and in-your-face experience to know what’s good for students.
As taxpayers, we have a vested stake in ensuring that schools are run well for the money we pay into them. As middle class earners we pay about a pretty good chunk of tax, and none of us wants to work in a school that’s falling down around us or lacks the tools we need to do the job.
OK, so here we stand wearing ALL of the hats. We have all of the pieces of this puzzle, not just one. Why then is it so easy to convince some people that we, those who are parents AND educators AND taxpayers, should be the last ones to listen to on issues of how education, parenting and taxes should work together?
I just don’t get it.
I feel really sorry for David.
He sounds very bitter about teachers.
Too bad he didn’t have a good one in his life.
In loco parentis.
I’m glad someone besides a teacher is starting to raise this issue on misrepresenting the facts… This about a a much larger issue than just “teachers”, and will eventually lead to ramifications for every Ontario worker…
Teachers are not upset about the money but by the blatant disregard to the democratic process and the unconstitutional trampling on individual rights and freedoms… I am certain that teachers are only the first wave of this attack on worker’s rights. Bill 115 will be used as an umbrella bill that will undermine and debilitate other unionized jobs, and will further weaken our economy.
Bill 115 should be more aptly named “Putting Ontario Worker’s Last”. I will also state to people working in the private sector, this WILL have a ripple effect on your job situation. If all unionized sectors have rollbacks (read: MASSIVE CUTS) which is what McGuinty has in Bill 115, no one in the private sector is going to give you “more”, but will take away LOTS, in effect matching what the unionized workers WILL HAVE LOST. This will lead to everyone with less disposable income, less sick days, longer hours, working more than one job, down-sizing their homes, less purchasing, etc…. doesn’t that sound like a depression to you? Thank you Mr. McGuinty for single-handedly delivering Ontario to a depression worse than the 1930’s, all in just a few short years. Coming soon to a province near you…
That Suzanne chick should step into any one of the classes in my school and watch a teacher for a day. She might be surprised at how many kids not only need a lot of good quality education, but also some social skills lessons for the ignorant. I clearly see where some of the students learn this disrespect that is so commonplace in our society.
More great articles!
http://m.thestar.com/article/1259527–cohn-how-some-unions-make-the-best-and-worst-of-tough-times
See the good thing that can happen when your goo, err bosses stay at the table and negotiate and not sulk off after a hour never to return, crying about being offended?
I may just renew my Toronto Star subscription!
Jen and Tina relax teachers! Mine posted before his response.
Goliath,
I had plenty of good teachers in my life. Spent a lot of time with my parents, more than my teachers! I am bitter! Bitter about a group of greedy people that want, want and want more! That to me is just disgusting. There is a whole world that is in financial peril around the teachers and all they can do is put themselves first.
Goliath I am the one that feels sorry for you, I am guessing you don’t have a clue about the world, much like many of the greedy teachers.
Gee Donald looks like Allison’s personal attack made it by you with no problem.
Awesome journalism. If it is good for you it is good for all, if not them screw them all!!!
Funny no one responded to these posts, they will likely wait til they are home from the teaching jobs they oh so much love!
@David,
The way I read it, Allison wasn’t attacking Donald, she was agreeing with the theme of teachers as parents.
Where do you get the idea that we are greedy? Have you been listening to the government who keeps talking about pay increases? We AGREED to a wage freeze. We sent a proposal to the government in APRIL, agreeing to a freeze and other cost-cutting measures. The government REFUSED that deal, since it wasn’t THEIR deal.
We understand we need to do our part to help reduce the deficit, but since when does “our part” include trampling our human rights and opening the door to do the same to others?
If, as teachers, WE don’t stand up for our rights, what example are we setting for our children and our students? Would you tell your son to lie down and take it if a bully was hitting him?
And if they can do this to one group, they can do it to ALL groups.
Perhaps, David, instead of responding with your HEART, you should try doing your homework and respond with your HEAD.
Re: the Sunshine list
Are there teachers on the sunshine list? Yes, of course there are and it seems obvious why…but it’s not.
I’m an administrator for a school board, not a teacher, but my salary places me on the sunshine list under the category teacher.
There are classroom teachers on the sunshine list. Not because their teaching salary exceeds $100K but because their teaching salary, combined with the pay they earn to teach night school added to the pay they earn to teach summer school combines to exceed $100K.
This is what Donald means when he suggests we need to know the facts. There is no teacher in this province who is paid a salary of over $100K. They can earn in excess of $100K but they have to get those additional temporary contracts to do so.
More great coverage!
http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/todays-paper/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/19/scott-stinson-at-this-point-ontario-teacher-protests-are-only-hurting-students&pubdate=2012-09-20
http://m.thestar.com/article/1259527–cohn-how-some-unions-make-the-best-and-worst-of-tough-times
Too biased for you Donald?
Why do you think I need to call my mpp? Are all the stories about this bill LIES?!?! How can you have collective bargaining with nobody at the table across from you. Etfo and osstf didn’t like what they saw so they took their balll and went home. Yayaya bargain with local board, but who holds the money for those boards. Teachers have nobody to blame but their bosses. They gave up their right when they walked away.
And its not a couple of weeks or months, some schools have cancelled for the year.
Spare us the 3rd person chat with little Johnny. Maybe you should write another “open letter” to parents telling them what they should be telling their kids.
OK k8, the teacher, what is the issue? Tell me and the other ignorant members of the public what you want? Please enlighten us! Is it better benefits? Shorter working hours? Please k8 tell us. It seems the bully here it the teachers federation. Give us what we want and are entitled to or else. Just you see government.
Donald, they don’t need to protest for collective bargain rights for me. I am good. Don’t need there help with my contract when it come due. You are making teachers out to be Saints!!! Fighting for democracy!!! Trying to save the world!!! They are protesting there own selfish needs. They aren’t doing anything for me, my dad the blue collar worker in a union or anyone I know outside the teaching world.
Teachers have there blinders on!!! Me, Me, Me!!!
Who said anything about sainthood? We’re people just like anyone else. And people have problems – mental, physical, etc. at times. I’d hate for someone to take my bones, boil them down to make shrines to visit on pilgrimages. That would be ridiculous.
David the issue has been mentioned many times throughout the above discussion. Reread and check comprehension.