10 Reasons Why I would STILL join a Teachers’ Union

Post date: Feb 23, 2017 2:09:25 PM

10 Reasons Why I would STILL join a Teachers’ Union

I joined my local Teachers' Union (HPEA, part of ISEA--the Iowa State Education Association) more than 20 years ago. I would do it all over again today, in spite of the Collective Bargaining bill designed to destroy the power of Teachers' Unions to have an impact on our schools. Iowa USED to support its schools and teachers: small towns and big cities alike took pride in their schools and everyone recognized that strong schools helped to prepare our students for the workplace and that our students were our future. I still believe that!

1. These organizations offer opportunities for Professional Development with workshops at the local and state level.
2. They provide the opportunity to meet and work with local colleagues on educational issues across disciplines (teaching online, assessment strategies, etc.)
3. They may have been weakened, but Unions will remain a source of political clout. They can help organize teachers from across the state to work on special issues or help organize members to work on specific elections.
4. They provide opportunities for leadership, as in serving as an officer or working on a subcommittee to gather information on a trend or study an issue.
5. They provide the opportunity to network with teachers from my discipline at other colleges at the state or national level.
6. They provide teachers with support and representation in case of a problem with a student or administrator.
7. The national organization publishes a variety of Educational publications and conducts research. Many publications feature articles written by teachers.
8. Local Unions are part of National organizations, with websites and resources that teachers can access nationwide since the organization goes beyond one state.
9. They provide protection against lawsuits, with legal counsel and coverage
10. They come with a few perks (discount programs, insurance, credit cards, etc.)

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/teacher_unions/

"The purpose of teachers’ unions is generally to be a strong, unified advocating body for teachers. Unions advocate for teachers, but have an interest in the functioning of the overall education system. Unions are comprised of professionals deeply interested in, and passionate about education. Through the strength of their numbers, Unions are also able to provide a wealth of resources to their members that members would usually otherwise not be able to afford. These resources alone are perhaps reason enough to join the union, since access to many wonderful tools would otherwise not be possible or cost- effective without the union."

Last Updated Feb. 23, 2017