30,000 respondents weighed in on: job enthusiasm (little to none); respect given by others (little to none); job stress (a lot); workplace bullying (too much). WCT agrees with all of this, and sees first hand a lack of enthusiasm, lack of respect, increased stressors, and especially bullying and intimidation in the workplace.
Highlighted as another job issue in the survey is, yes, lack of adequate bathroom breaks. This is included along with other health-related issues like depression, the ability to see a doctor when needed, and the ease with which one can stay home when ill. All valid, but the Atlantic chooses to focus on bathroom breaks. As if having bodily functions gone over with a fine-tooth comb isn't bad enough, author Alia Wong throws around some snide teacher bashing, too.
The Atlantic's opinion of the study in general:
"The survey results should certainly be taken with some skepticism." Skepticism? Teachers who respond to a survey about their experiences on the job apparently can't be trusted because...unions?
The Atlantic's opinion of the commissioning bodies of the study:
"As the second-largest education union in the country, the AFT clearly has a vested interest in advocating for better working conditions for educators...". No shit, for lack of a better term. Alia Wong, must not have consulted Wikipedia to discover the function of a labor union. Otherwise, she would have discovered the very purpose of a labor union is to, among other things, advocate for better working conditions for its members.
The rest of this 1,800 word treatise on the toilet goes on to glibly discuss all sorts of bladder issues, yet manages to include two links that cite teachers as big whiners and over-exaggerators. Again with the teachers being too clueless to know about their own experiences.
Channeling Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul, Ms. Wong comes to the trite conclusion that, "Part of teaching is being able to adapt and make sacrifices."
The Atlantic's cultivated readership takes to Twitter to join the teacher-bashing fun, too:
@BeauABlackwell is the angriest respondent who rants: (1) because they get 3 months off in summer, a Christmas break, and a spring break. I don't feel sorry for them. (2) Then get a new job, and (3) As I said before, I don't get any breaks--holidays, vacation, nothing
@twitslovetotwit opines: Research has shown that teachers give better lectures when their pants are full of shit and piss.
@CaptAmerica1787 says: More apt title: Unions only want money - don't give a shit - literally!
Thanks, Alia Wong and the Atlantic for your hard-hitting journalism and think-piece on number 1 and number 2. You and your editors are regular fucking Woodward & Bernsteins.
You need to start linking this blog to others that are not affiliated with pro-Emanuel/Rauner/Scott Walker groups. Tim Cawley too.
ReplyDeleteRumor has it that CPS is planning on laying off all of the engineers in November, at which point, they will have to reapply for their jobs. Rumor also has it that Mr. Cawley is looking to eliminate 200 engineers, as per his "brown bag lunch" webinar (is this the correct term). The feeling that Mr. Cawley has, is, that 300 engineers can take care of some 600 buildings, based upon his suburban model. That model means that, according to him, the engineers who are rehired will be pulled out of their schools and report to the high schools, then fan out to the elementary schools for work orders.
It's funny that a company that hasn't been relevant since the mid-90s, Motorola, is suddenly the blueprint for an aging guy from Winnetka who does not live in the city, never really got out of middle-management, to implement changes for the school buildings. Really interesting. Just who is Tim Cawley, and has he ever done anything aside from share a condo with another couple in the City of Chicago?
Inquiring minds want to know.