Excerpts from a recent Superior Court Ruling
Published Fri, Sep 11 2009 11:00 AM
I believe I noted a few days ago that the Kent Education Association is a criminal organization. They, and the teachers that are their members, are in fact teaching an important lesson to the children of the Kent School District.
“It is undisputed that the teachers each signed contracts with the Kent School District for the 2009-2010 school year that required them to begin teaching on Aug 31, 2009. The strike is in violation of those contracts.”
– Case No. 09-2-32419-1 KNT
MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER
So, if you live in the Kent area and you’ve seen the signs being carried by the teachers that are striking… you know the ones – the ones that say “No Contract, No School,” then you know you’re being fed a shovelful of crap by the teachers. They have a contract, and they’re violating it. The lesson for students in the Kent School District is “It’s OK to lie to the public to get what you want.”
It’s no wonder so many of today’s youth cannot be trusted. They were taught by their teachers to lie.
“The court has lawful jurisdiction over the parties. The parties do not dispute that the defendants have willfully refused to comply with the court’s September 3, 2009 Order, and that Order placed defendants on notice that failure to comply may subject them to sanctions under RCW 7.21. The defendants now are in willful violation of a court order.”
It’s no wonder the youth of today appear to respect nothing. The lesson they’re being taught seems to be “When the court tells you you must do something, it’s OK to show contempt for the law.” Judge Darvas disagrees with that lesson.
“Refusal to obey a court order is a sign of disrespect for our free institutions. It is a sign of disrespect for the Court – the very institution of government that exists to protect rights, liberties and access to justice for all people, regardless of their wealth, status or background. It is a poor example to set for the young people who are looking to their teachers as role models for how to behave in a society that is founded on the rule of law.”
Well, if there's one thing our courts have, it's the power to punish violations of law. Judge Darvas is teaching the teachers and their criminal organization an important lesson. “Mess with the courts, and it will cost you.”
“The KEA hereby is fined $1,500 per day and the teachers who have refused to comply with this Court’s September 3, 2009 Order are fined $200 per day each, for each day they fail to comply with the September 3, 2009 Order, from September 8, 2009 onward.”
“Imposition of these fines shall be suspended until Monday, September 14, and shall not take effect if the defendant teachers are prepared, available, present, and ready to teach school during regularly scheduled school hours on September 14, 2009 and on each regularly scheduled school day thereafter, and provided also that the defendants are fully in compliance with this Court’s September 3, 2009 Order as of September 14, 2009.”
Even more important than teaching that lesson, the court’s order re-emphasizes some important points. These are things I’ve said about how much concern teachers and the Kent Education Association are showing for students.
“The law is clear that teachers do not have a right to strike under Washington law. That is why this court granted the School District's request for an injunction – the strike is unlawful, and it is harming children and their families. Some 26,000 children who should be getting an education in the schools are not being educated. Children and families who rely on the schools for special services are not getting those services. Families who depend on the schools for child care during regular school hours are being forced to scramble to make alternative arrangements care and supervision of their children. High School seniors who plan to graduate next summer, and who have made or are in the process of making plans for college, have concerns over being able to graduate on time. Classified (non-teacher) employees of the District are not being paid while school is not in session. The longer the strike continues, the greater the degree of harm that is occurring.”
Perhaps this will help to make clear that these so-called “education associations” only exist to serve a political agenda and to extort more moneys from taxpayers. Is the next step jail time?
The lesson I want to teach with this post is that we need to take control of our children’s education. Leaving our children’s developing minds in the hands of criminals is not a good idea. Especially since it seems that our current educational system provides so little benefit in producing aware citizens.
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ablur responded with:
 | Our schools continue to fail our nation and the students. They continue to fail the communities and the families. Our educational system robs the citizens at gun point to pay for something they have no intention of delivering on.
Bring on the voucher system and watch education change over night. |
David responded with:
 | Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy seems to apply with a vengeance:
"Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representative who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions."
Of course, this is (a portion of the reasons) why
1. We have schools that are failing us and
2. Teachers who are like those in your post
OTOH, my Wonder Woman is a member of an unusual teachers' "union" ("association" is more like, since the group does NOT enter into wage bargaining with employers) that does four things, primarily:
1. Offer ongoing opportunities for enhancing competence
2. Liability insurance (a big deal nowadays *sigh*)
3. Mediation between teachers and administration and teachers and parents, in rare cases.
4. Lobbying with state legislators.
The last was particularly helpful when the state ed office kept "losing" my Wonder Woman's application for license renewal. Because of her experience as an association representative, she was able to contact her state legislator personally, have him know her from an ongoing working relationship and his call to the office that had "lost" her app three times resulted in action THAT DAY that preserved her job--literally, as that was THE last day she could obtain a renewal for her upcoming contract year.
In limited cases like that, an association that majors on developing positive working relationships between parents, administrators, legislators and teachers can be A Good Thing, IMO.
(Now, if only we could eliminate remote educrats, 99% of school administrators, deadbeat teachers, and parents who refuse to help their children learn--usually by alibi-ing bad behavior or sabotaging their education with a hyper-busy activity schedule--we might be able to take a few steps to repair pubschool ed in these (dys)United States... maybe.) |
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