tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716625150291822781.post7548946057545600916..comments2023-04-25T00:12:02.750-04:00Comments on Alan Page, At-Large City Council (DC Statehood Green Party): Teachers' Unions Are Not The EnemyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716625150291822781.post-80354505223978320792011-02-24T15:04:13.425-05:002011-02-24T15:04:13.425-05:00Alan, I agree on so many points in your message. I...Alan, I agree on so many points in your message. I am constantly offering similar arguments that the unions are part of a solution to other problems and that the quality of education, reform, funding, and empowerment are other areas that need solutions. We cannot eradicate the unions and expect that the other problems will disappear; instead we can expect other problems to result...especially if we do a bit of history and remember what the quality of education was before unions. We cannot afford to have our schools turn into automation type institutions (such as the images presented in the "A Wrinkle In Time" series of books. <br /><br />The real solutions will come when both the whole community: parents, students, educators, unions, politicians, and other advocates sit down together and work through all of the complexities to find real solutions to today's educational needs. <br /><br />We must recognize that education and the process of educating young and old minds does not happen in a vacuum. That the outside issues faced by each student plays a factor in her/his ability to learn, retain, and apply knowledge. We cannot ignore the socio-cultural-economic factors of the students, families, communities and then blame (or expect miracles from) teachers/educators when the system breaks down. <br /><br />Education is a collective issue and we will only succeed in solving it when we stop looking for who is to blame and look for who is offering real, creative, and progressive thinking to address the real issues, rather than theoretical approaches. The we must be bold enough to apply (i.e ACT on) the best -critical- creative thinking to make the necessary change happen.Darryl! L.C. Mochhttp://www.darryl4dc.comnoreply@blogger.com