Teacher UnionsPros vs. Cons

ADMS 624Dr. BrandonSpring 2015

Charlotte Foster & Kierstyn Johnson

History of Teacher Unions

● 1857● 1897● 1902● 1906● 1920-1940● 1950’s● 1990-2000’s

Teacher Unions are a Necessity!● Popiel (2013) explored teacher union members’ beliefs

about the teacher union and their reasons for being active or inactive in the union.

● West & Mykerez examined the impact of collective bargaining on multiple dimensions (2011).

● According to the AFT, sixty-eight percent of union workers have guaranteed pensions; versus 14 percent of non-union one and 97% have jobs with health insurance (2014).

● The collective bargaining process offers teachers a voice on issues that matter most to them such as class sizes, hours and evaluations, during contract negotiations with their district” (West & Elton, 2011, p. 102).

Teacher unions with and without collective bargaining power

With:

contract negotiationscampaign moneyvoting power

Without:

campaign moneyvoting power

Do unionized states perform better in core subject tests?

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/08/quality-counts-sources-and-notes.html

Costs of unionized states- lower performing students perform lower- highest performing students do not perform

as high- higher teacher salaries result in less money

for other educational resources- administrators have less power to make

changes in school

Just for Fun!

Discussion Points

1) After listening to the presentation, do you believe in collective bargaining for teachers? Why? Why not?

2) How will teacher unions impact educational reform in the next ten years?

3) What’s more important:a. Average students performing higher?b. Lower level students performing higher? Higher level students performing

higher?

4) In which type of state would you feel most comfortable sending your child to school? In which type of state would you feel most comfortable working? 4

References

American Federation of Teachers. PreK-12 Public Education. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.aft.org/education.

Chaison, G. N. (2002). Unions and legitimacy. Ithaca ; London: Ithaca ; London : ILR Press.

Coulson, A.J. (2010). The effects of teachers unions on education. Cato Journal, 30 (1), 155-169.

Eberts, R. (2007). Teacher unions and student performance: help or hindrance? The Future of Children. 17

(1), 175 – 200.

Education Week. (2015). (Map illustration of state education report cards January 2, 2015). Quality

Counts 2015: State Report

Cards Map. Retrieved from ->http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2015/2015-state-report-cards-map.html

Popiel, K. (2013). Teacher union legitimacy: Shifting the moral center for member engagement. Journal of

Educational Change, 14(4), 465-500.

Strunk, K., & Grissom, J. (2010). Do strong unions shape district policies? Collective bargaining, teacher

contract restrictiveness, and the political power of teachers’ unions. Educational Evaluation and

Policy Analysis. 32 (3), 389 – 406.

Talk Points Memo. (2011). (Map illustration of states with collective bargaining February 18, 2011). Look

at the Map. Retrieved from http://talkingpoints.

West, K. L., & Mykerezi, E. (2011). Teachers’ unions and compensation: The impact of collective bargaining

on salary schedules and performance pay schemes. Economics of Education Review, 30(1), 99-108.