Teachers at a Detroit charter school wanted to form a union. The charter operator challenged the vote on grounds that TFA teachers are not real professionals.
“The election was held to establish a union of teachers and staff at University Prep Schools.
“UPrep Schools consist of seven campuses under the University Preparatory Academy and University Preparatory Science and Math charters. They are managed by Detroit 90/90.
“While there were 19 more no votes from those who did not want the union, Detroit 90/90 challenged the voting rights of Teachers for America teachers and long-term substitutes, claiming the teachers they hired to stand in front of students are not actually professionals,” said Nate Walker, K-12 organizer and policy analyst with AFT Michigan.
“Walker said the voting rights of 30 teachers were challenged before the election, during an April 30 proceeding before the National labor Relations Board. Of those, 20 voted Thursday, and their ballots are in question.
“David Hecker, president of AFT Michigan, said the vote Thursday is “not determinative, as there are 20 challenged ballots, most of which result from 90/90 not considering Teach for America teachers and long-term substitutes to be teachers.”
Five charter schools in Detroit have joined the AFT.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This isn’t just trying to have your cake and eat it. It’s trying to have your cake and screwing it, too.
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So now they have admitted it; TFA are not teachers nor professionals.
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EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!
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They only are when it’s convenient to call them that like when they are replacing experienced, credentialed, professional educators in cities like Camden, NJ.
Besides, school teachers do not need to be professional educators! Anyone can teach if they are knowledgable in their subject area–just ask the reformers. THEY know! 😛
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TFA “teachers” (gag alert) are not teachers anymore than someone who spends 6 weeks in pre-med or medical school is a doctor. In MI many subs are not teachers as our lax state law allows anyone with 2 years of college to staff any classroom.
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My elementary school teachers in the 1940s had two years of college. They were certified to teach. Then in the late 1950s they were required to have a four year degree. As a consequence, some of my elementary teachers and I were in the same graduating class earning a four year degree. So, if MI only requires two years of college to staff a classroom, the state is in a time warp from long ago. The TFAers at least have a college degree and a veneer of prep for teaching.
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This is too delicious. I could not agree more with this Charter School official who saysl: Teach for America “teachers” are not true professionals! They are 5-week placeholders in a classroom
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gailj2;
I doubt that unionized “teachers” in any capacity are generally considered “professionals” in today’s society. Most responsible people realize that they’ve shouted “gimme, gimme” too many times now to have maintained that status.
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Asking for a seat at the negotiating table is shouting, “Gimme?” Taking part in community projects and countless hours of professional development do not fall under “professional acts?” Having education degrees and certification in teaching areas, not to mention dedicating selves to their schools for a considerable length of time (read “experience”), do not make professionals?
And you’ve reached the conclusion about what “most responsible people” believe from just what research exactly?
Please share with the rest of us whatever it is you’re smoking. We’re stressed out enough the way it is.
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Well, if employers don’t want their workers to unionize, they should figure it out the ways to satisfy their basic needs–without mutiny– so that they won’t be accused and indicted for slave labor exploitation. Common sense.
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Wow! What an insult to the TFA-ers. Not professionals! Yowzer!
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One wonders if these politicians really understand what they are saying, the import of it and admitting to. INCREDIBLE: and these are the politicians in charge of our country.
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Yes, they are not teachers, so maybe it is time for them to explain why they hire them to be teachers. I would think some parents might be interested in knowing that their child spends all day with someone who is not a teacher.
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This is just the same as charters claiming to be public schools in all their marketing materials, but claiming to be private entities not subject to the laws of public schools when they are challenged in court. http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/2010/07/palisades-charter-high-school.html
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Yep. A typical double-speaking by a charcoal smooching operator in the Mo-town.
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TFAers remind me of when I was a child and played school and pretended to be a teacher. But real students are not dolls or stuffed animals.
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