Friday 12 June 2015

Teachers' unions just don't understand.

For many parents and students the news that four school boards will not be releasing report cards; including the two largest boards in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Peel District School Board (PDSB), this is a  final straw. Please do not misunderstand. No one doubts the difficulty of teaching, but teachers' unions have been directing their members in an extreme direction since the 1990s. This incident with report cards will only succeed in angering parents and students.

As reported in today's Toronto Sun, "the salary range for teachers runs from $42,283 for a rookie, to $94,707 after 10 years for a teacher who does the required upgrading. Those who chose not to move up the grid make a top salary of $76,021. They also get hefty benefits and a lucrative pension that’s funded 50% by taxpayers. For that kind of dough, they should fill out report cards."

While the province struggles with a $10 billion deficit and debt nearing $300 billion teachers' unions demand more. Frankly, the Wynne government is the most teacher friendly government in Ontario history. Even the NDP government of Bob Rae was not as willing to bend to the will of the Sam Hammonds in Ontario to the degree that Premier Wynne has. The least teachers can do is let us see our children's grades.

As a parent to a special needs child I depend on those grades to gain insight into my daughter's educational development. I cannot do this as long as her grade are kept under lock and key.

So the question becomes, 'what can parents do about it?'

Simply put: nothing.

We are dependent on our trustees and MPPs to do what is right here. Unfortunately, to date, they are wrestling with a group of unions unwilling negotiate in good faith.

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