Connecticut blogger and political consultant Jonathan Pelto points out that teachers are first responders.
He commends teachers for their daily dedication.
But he puts his reflections in the recent plague of teacher-bashing, which was in vogue until December 14. Pelto writes:
“….we’ve seen a growing trend in which politicians have used teachers as pawns or even scapegoats in a terrible game of political pandering and maneuvering. Unfair, inappropriate and mean-spirited verbal attacks on teachers and their unions have become commonplace.
“It wasn’t long ago that a Democratic state legislator in Rhode Island called teachers, “pigs at the public trough” during a hearing on public employee pension reform, despite the fact that it is federal law that requires that states have public teacher pension programs, and it is federal law that prohibits teachers from participating in social security, meaning those mandated state pensions are their only direct mechanism for retirement payments.
“Meanwhile, Republican Governor Chris Christie’s mean-spirited attacks on New Jersey’s teachers have become legendary.
“Sadly, earlier this year, as a way to build support for his education reform proposal, even our own Governor, Dannel Malloy, claimed that all a teacher need do is “show up for four years” to be given tenure, when nothing could be further from the truth.
“Malloy’s comment was not unlike the one made by Republican wing-nut, Governor Bobby Jindal, who said – during the very same month, when Jindal introduced his own education reform bill – that getting tenure was nothing more than a “reward” for a teacher based on “the length of time they have been breathing.”
Pelto goes on to write about he heroic teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School, who worked very hard for their pay. They were not paid for breathing r for showing up.
It makes you wonder whether Sandy Hook will put an end to this era of low and disgraceful attacks on educators. Will elected officials feel ashamed now to say such insulting things about teachers just like Vicki Soto, Anne Marie Murphy, Dawn Hochsprung, Lauren Rousseau, Rachel D’Avino, Mary Sherlach, and the thousands and millions of educators like them?
Not sure what state you were referring to with this paragraph..
*”It wasnt long ago that a Democratic state legislator in Rhode Island called teachers, pigs at the public trough during a hearing on public employee pension reform, despite the fact that it is federal law that requires that states have public teacher pension programs, and** it is federal law that prohibits teachers from participating in social security,* *meaning those mandated state pensions are their only direct mechanism for retirement payments. *
I wrote in RIFuture the comment that* Rep Doug Gablinske called us teachers in RI: “Pigs at the trough.”* This is why he lost his re-election. And the part about social security for RI is not truel It is not a federal mandate that says tecahers can join. I taught in both Portsmouth for three eyars and in Warwick for over 30 years and *I participated in social security.* Some districts do and some don’t in RI. About 40 years or so ago, the districts had the option of staying in or opting out. The unions voted either way. Lucikly my 2 school districts stayed in SS! thank you jo ann fonseca ri retired teacher and on aft-r board
Let’s not forget that Michael Bloomberg was the creator of “Teacher Bashing”, long before Gov. Chris Christie! When politicians like Jindal make the above-mentioned debasing comments about educators…..it started with Joel Klein, NYC Chancellor. Yet none of these burocrats describe the scenario of some of our colleagues.
I worked with a Special Education teacher who had a student that would sit closely to him every day and without a pause for 42 minutes straight yell at the teacher,
“F~~k You Mr. B.!, F~~k You Mr. B!, F~~k You Mr. B.!, F~~k You Mr. B.!”
Klein and Jindal should be grateful that they found someone with a Master’s degree, who passed all state teaching exams and who allows themselves to be subjected to such abusive behavior while preparing these students for NY State Regent’s Exams!
Why is it that the politicians need public support to reform (cut pensions)?
Teachers are “are pigs at the trough”. Wow, and the politicians who will turn any trick for a billionaire aren’t. I hope this bashing will finally end after this. People need to keep shaming anyone who talks this way.
Cogent analysis of the ideological roots of “teacher-bashing” from Henry A. Giroux can be found here:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13367-the-corporate-war-against-teachers-as-public-intellectuals-in-dark-times
Makes you wonder out loud, “Who voted for these…people? Their families?”