Teacher Unions Bring Good Teachers Down

I agree with NYT's Nicholas Kristof who says unions haven't been good to teachers because they negotiate for tenure and job security over pay, which doesn't attract the best and the brightest. In the same breath, he says we should pay teachers more and boost their status. Indeed. Kristof is sure to get hate mail with this column. Teachers in unions have little patience or understanding for anyone who tries to explain why they might be better off without a union, or more importantly, why our children would be better off with teachers who are paid well and held in high esteem:

Look, I’m not a fan of teachers’ unions. They used their clout to gain job security more than pay, thus making the field safe for low achievers. Teaching work rules are often inflexible, benefits are generous relative to salaries, and it is difficult or impossible to dismiss teachers who are ineffective.

But none of this means that teachers are overpaid. And if governments nibble away at pensions and reduce job security, then they must pay more in wages to stay even.

Moreover, part of compensation is public esteem. When governors mock teachers as lazy, avaricious incompetents, they demean the profession and make it harder to attract the best and brightest. We should be elevating teachers, not throwing darts at them. Read the whole thing at NYT