MNEA to hear charter school leaders, rewrite position paper
One of the state’s largest teachers unions will sit down today with Missouri charter school leaders for the first time.
A committee of the 35,000-member Missouri National Education Association has decided to update its position on charters, the once-experimental independent public schools, said Chris Guinther, president of the MNEA.
The MNEA asked to meet with the state department’s director of charter schools, Jocelyn Strand, and with the director of the Missouri Charter Public School Association, Aaron North.
“We really felt it was important for us to hear what their beliefs are, and what exactly they’re advocating,” Guinther said.
Guinther said that the union’s position paper, which speaks to both the promise and problems with charters, was written in 2000, and simply needs to be updated.
Guinther thinks the position paper should be finished and voted on by the winter.
This is surprising, but good news…I think.
Charter schools are a wonderful asset to have, giving parents some sort of option for the education their children receive.
Personally, I am fearful of the ever powerful MNEA, but I hope they can open their eyes to the benefits of charter schools, and someday soon, back off so all of Missourians can benefit from them.
MNEA, a branch of the NEA Union, is not the direction public education needs to be going. Like the automotive unions, a labor union approach to education is antiquated and a dangerous thing. They absolutely take the focus off the children in this service profession and make the students and their families hostage to the political whims of their Union Party bosses. Charter schools have attempted to take failing schools in districts and come up with plans to improve them… Of course the NEA Union is jumpy about it and feeling the need to revisit their position. The Missouri State Teachers Association (a professional organization of teachers - not a union) and independent charter districts are a threat to the union and their party bosses. Many teachers do not realize the power they give to the unions when they sign up. Mostly they are just concerned that they have legal advice behind them and representation at salary negotiations. Missouri is beautiful in that you have a choice to join any organization you wish or none at all. This keeps my focus directly where it should be - on the children I teach. I am proud to be a part of a Right to Work state that doesn’t allow, much to the NEA Union’s chagrin, strikes or other damaging elements toward our children’s ability to learn!