Comments on: Adam Smith, Plutocrats and Teacher Unions: Keeping Silent Because You Are Not a Trade Unionist Can be Fatal http://www.edwize.org/adam-smith-plutocrats-and-teacher-unions-keeping-silent-because-you-are-not-a-trade-unionist-can-be-fatal Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Phyllis C. Murray http://www.edwize.org/adam-smith-plutocrats-and-teacher-unions-keeping-silent-because-you-are-not-a-trade-unionist-can-be-fatal/comment-page-1#comment-65918 Phyllis C. Murray Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:49:57 +0000 http://edwize.org/?p=1386#comment-65918 Re."Adam Smith, Plutocrats and Teacher Unions: Keeping Silent Because You Are Not a Trade Unionist Can be Fatal" Filed under: Education by Peter Goodman @ 5:09 pm As trade unionist we are able to affect change. And Peter Goodman is correct when he wrote the following: "Teachers as individuals are powerless, teachers as members of democratic labor unions have power. The power to vote, the power to advocate for policies, the power to change, the power to create legislation." We need to see a reinvestment of economic capital in education. Then, we will see a revitalization of structured environments in school communities. We will see new programs which provide the skills and develop the competencies needed so that all of our students will become productive members of society. An investment of economic capital would assure the development of new schools, state of the art libraries, supervised playgrounds and after school programs. New capital investments would seed programs of prevention and intervention for our at - risk students and increase guidance and counseling services to end a child's cycle of failure and frustration. Failure and frustration unabated, far too often, translate into assaults, disruptions in classrooms and heightening violent incident statistics. If we are to continue to be a pluralistic society, we must make sure that the road to becoming a productive citizen : the road to being the best that we can be, is not impeded by unfair testing which leads to unfair tracking, and unfair labeling. Every child must be given an equal opportunity to achieve and succeed. It is obvious that all parents want their children to succeed. However, if parents have not traveled along the pathway which leads to success,they do not know which road to take. They will need a guide for their children. Without a guide, success may become a dream deferred from one generation to another. Therefore, it is incumbent upon educators/guidancecounselors/ mentors to continue to invest in these human souls along with their parents. This is the "strategic partnership" which is sorely needed as the child is programmed from PreK to Grade 12. And certainly, if our elected officials are not a part of the solution, perhaps they are part of the problem. Phyllis C. Murray Re.”Adam Smith, Plutocrats and Teacher Unions: Keeping Silent Because You Are Not a Trade Unionist Can be Fatal”
Filed under: Education by Peter Goodman @ 5:09 pm

As trade unionist we are able to affect change. And Peter Goodman is correct when he wrote the following: “Teachers as individuals are powerless, teachers as members of democratic labor unions have power. The power to vote, the power to advocate for policies, the power to change, the power to create legislation.”

We need to see a reinvestment of economic capital in education. Then, we will see a revitalization of structured environments in school communities. We will see new programs which provide the skills and develop the competencies needed so that all of our students will become productive members of society.

An investment of economic capital would assure the development of new schools, state of the art libraries, supervised playgrounds and after school programs. New capital investments would seed programs of prevention and intervention for our at – risk students and increase guidance and counseling services to end a child’s cycle of failure and frustration. Failure and frustration unabated, far too often, translate into assaults, disruptions in classrooms and heightening violent incident statistics.

If we are to continue to be a pluralistic society, we must make sure that the road to becoming a productive citizen : the road to being the best that we can be, is not impeded by unfair testing which leads to unfair tracking, and unfair labeling. Every child must be given an equal opportunity to achieve and succeed.

It is obvious that all parents want their children to succeed. However, if parents have not traveled along the pathway which leads to success,they do not know which road to take. They will need a guide for their children. Without a guide, success may become a dream deferred from one generation to another.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon educators/guidancecounselors/ mentors to continue to invest in these human souls along with their parents. This is the “strategic partnership” which is sorely needed as the child is programmed from PreK to Grade 12. And certainly, if our elected officials are not a part of the solution, perhaps they are part of the problem.
Phyllis C. Murray

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