Thursday, August 17, 2017

EDUCATION NEXT POLL FINDS PLUMMETING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS & PLURALITY AGAINST AGENCY FEES

There's good news and not so good news in an annual survey of Americans done by Education Next.

On the positive side of the poll, we see that support for charter schools has fallen from 51 percent approval in the 2016 survey down to 39 percent in 2017. That is a steep 12 percent fall for charters.




On the issue of teacher unions, it is a mixed bag with teachers supporting their unions by an overwhelming 64-22 percent margin but we are divided on whether or not we should be compelled to pay  union dues.

This is right from Education Next:

Teachers unions and agency fees
Members of the public are evenly divided in their thinking about the influence of teachers unions: 37% say they have “a generally positive effect on schools,” while 37% say they have “a generally negative effect.” Meanwhile, teachers overwhelmingly have favorable views of the unions that represent them, with 64% reporting that unions have a positive effect and just 22% reporting the opposite. Predictably, Democrats and Republicans diverge, with 50% of the former and just 23% of the latter saying that unions have a positive effect on schools.

Quite apart from public attitudes, a key to union success in many states is their ability to collect “agency fees” directly from teachers’ paychecks, whether or not the teachers belong to the union. Unions argue that such fees cover the costs of collective bargaining and therefore benefit all teachers, whether or not they are union members. Opponents of agency fees say they violate teachers’ free-speech rights by exacting money from them even if they don’t support a union presence. Agency fees are collected in 21 states, but the practice could be doomed by a U.S. Supreme Court that may be inclined to prohibit these payments. The court appeared to be on the verge of such a decision in 2016, but Justice Antonin Scalia’s death instead led to a 4–4 deadlock, leaving a pro-union lower-court decision intact. With new challenges to agency fees now making their way through the federal court system, and a new, conservative justice on the high court, the issue could be ripe for a definitive resolution.


What does the public think of agency fees? Forty-four percent of respondents oppose the practice of requiring teachers to pay fees to unions they choose not to join, while just 37% support the practice, much the same as a year ago. More surprising, perhaps, is the fact that teachers themselves are also more likely to oppose agency fees than to support them, by a narrow 47%–44% margin. Despite holding positive views of union influence, then, many teachers apparently think that they should be able to decide whether or not to contribute money to support union activities at the bargaining table.

Try and go figure that result. We want a union to protect us but we are split about paying for it. Strange results indeed. The unions across the country have a big education and organizing role to play before the Supreme Court rules most probably to take automatic dues checkoff  from public sector unions, thus starving them of funds.

My guess is that many of the people who comment on this blog are going to decline to pay their union dues if given the chance. You think we're weak now? You ain't seen nothing yet.

We need a union. Maybe not this one; but we have to have a union to represent us collectively. Running a union costs money.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can teachers start a new union ?

Anonymous said...

Definitely educators need a union. This country should focus on how to better the lives of its workers throughout the country and throughout all industries instead of taking away these benefits. There is a looming retirement crisis all because of the selfish visionaries that people should have 401Ks, etc. People will not be able to afford to retire and won't be able to work because of age discrimination. This needs to stop and we as a country need to take care of our citizens.

James Eterno said...

Teacher representation is in our own hands. Always has been. Do you think the UFT has a divine right to be our union? I would rather repair the UFT but if teachers deem that as impossible, then starting over needs to at least be on the table.

Anonymous said...

As someone who worked in a charter school but now works for the DOE, I will continue to pay my union dues. A shitty union is better than no union. However, the UFT better get it's head out of the sand because I really think they are underestimating the amount of teachers who will stop paying dues once they can. My school consists mostly of young teachers who neither care for union politics or long term career thinking. They will keep their dues in a heartbeat given the chance.

James Eterno said...

I totally agree "A shitty union is better than no union." I am not so certain the masses will head for the exits if given a choice.

Anonymous said...

When the last contract was up for a vote the majority of the young teachers at my school told me they were voting "yes". When I asked them why they all said "The $1,000 signing bonus!". Many of these young teachers do not think more than a few days ahead in their teaching careers. If they are told they can pocket an extra $1,300 a year if they leave the UFT, a ton of them will. Just my thought.

James Eterno said...

You may be right but when both sides are presented, people may just stay. We will probably find out soon enough.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe the Janus case will go the SC. I know most people will strongly disagree with me. The last case was almost identical, heard and decided upon. My understanding is that similar cases that the SC have made determinations on are usually rejected. The UFT is using it in a long litany of fear mongering for COPE funds.
Atlas

James Eterno said...

Maybe you are right Atlas, but there is a new conservative Justice in Neal Gorsuch which gives the conservatives a solid 5-4 Supreme Court majority. They could very well hear the case to break the 4-4 Friedrichs tie after Scalia died. I agree with the UFT that the case will probably be heard. I also think we will lose. The question is how narrow or wide ranging the decision will be and what legal tricks will the unions have in response.

Anonymous said...

When will the case most likely be heard?

James Eterno said...

Should be decided by June 2018 at the latest.

James Eterno said...

You may be right but when both sides are presented, people may just stay. We will probably find out soon enough.

Anonymous said...

Gonna be an interesting school year for sure.