Michael

"Despite the rightwing campaign against unions, if we want to move American schools and students into the 21st century, the United States should encourage teacher unionization. That is if you believe decisions should be based on research and data, not on anti-union propaganda."

"But what if teacher unions actually improve teacher, student, and school performance? That is exactly what economist Eunice Han of the University of Utah found in a multi-year study encompassing data from a third of U.S. public school districts. ...Han also examined the impact of legal changes in 2010-2011 that limited the bargaining rights of teachers in Idaho, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The data showed that declining unionism, which decreased teacher salaries, contributed to an exodus of better teachers and reduced the incentive for districts to dismiss poorer performing teachers. In a surprise finding, Han also discovered a correlation between unionized school districts and lower student drop out rates, which she argues is a measure of higher school and student performance." And it is a relentless, frighteningly well funded, right wing assault. Read More...