Post date: Feb 23, 2017 3:46:18 PM

Note: This blog post should have been posted last week! However, I got so wrapped up in researching what happened in Wisconsin that I had to take a break. It was too depressing.

Reflections on my Teaching Career and Experience as a Member of HPEA (Hawkeye Professional Educators Association)

I finished my undergraduate program with a double major in English and Psychology in 1987 and went on to ISU to become an English teacher. I originally planned to teach at the High School level; however, the chance to teach a class at a Community College the summer before Grad School, and then the opportunity to teach as a T. A. at ISU for two years changed my mind. While I served as a substitute teacher in several school districts for a few years, I never taught full time in the K-12 system. Over a period of five years, I applied for hundreds of high school teaching jobs; I interviewed for a few. This was back in the early 1990s when I was being offered $16,000 plus extra for doing the school newspaper, play, yearbook, or speech contests.

Once I had a Master’s degree, I began teaching at Marshalltown Community College, Buena Vista College at MCC, and Hawkeye Community College. I was also hired to teach a class at DMACC at Newton; however, my class didn’t go due to enrollment problems. I worked at another Community College in Sioux City as a Curriculum Developer under a Federal Grant. Finally, I was hired full time at Hawkeye Community College in the summer of 1996. I was eager to join the ranks of the full-time teachers after being an adjunct for a number of years. I joined the Teachers’ Union (HPEA, which is part of the Iowa State Education Association) and later served as the Secretary under several different Presidents. While I did not participate in negotiations, I heard all of the stories. When tough times came with budget cuts and layoffs, I spoke out for my college, my fellow teachers, and my students.

I attended ISEA conferences in Des Moines where a group of Community College teachers (and Union members) gathered to discuss legislation affecting education, education funding, education trends, and shared ideas and strategies. I did a presentation with another teacher from a Community College halfway across the state. I networked and share ideas about topics ranging from teaching online to using technology in the classroom and using supplemental materials like a book of readings to enhance class discussion.

Our local members met once a semester, gathering for a meal and business meeting. People serving on the Executive Board met monthly and a team of teachers on the Bargaining team had frequent meetings as well. We had several wonderful union representatives come speak to us, including one man who had survived the Wisconsin nightmare, as well as a lawyer who worked for the state organization. Their advice, support, and presence was invaluable during several crises.

Throughout all of it, those of us in the Union tried to stay strong, keep our heads up, and focus on our responsibility to our students and each other. I began to attend the Legislative Forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters and my husband and I became more politically active. We worked for campaigns, we wrote letters, we made phone calls, and we used Social Media to promote events and try to motivate people to vote.

When I took early retirement in August of 2016, I had no idea that the next 6 months would see the attempts to destroy Public Unions in Iowa and to depict Teachers as bad guys who were consuming too many dollars with all of their benefits. The headlines of stories reporting that many Iowa legislators were getting next to free health care, with almost 100 of them only paying $20 a month, was a shocking development and gave new meaning to the word “irony.” As a retired teacher, I pay almost $800 a month for my medical, dental and vision coverage.

I know how hard teachers work in both K-12 and Higher Ed: I know that many of them spend their own money to buy things for their classrooms and their children. I stopped tracking what I spent on office supplies, technology, books, and treats for my students (candy and granola bars were sometimes called "retention strategies"). I know that they spend hours and hours of their own time to prep for classes, grade, and work on projects: I certainly did. I know that their primary motivations for choosing their careers have nothing to do with money and more to do with making a difference in the lives of children and teens.

I have been deeply grieved by the senseless attacks on public employees by the Republicans in our Legislature and baffled by their motivations. Doing more reading about the influence of ALEC and the flood of dark money into our state by large corporations, my confusion has been replaced by OUTRAGE. Funding schools, preparing our children for college and the workplace, and taking care of public employees should not be a political matter: Red or Blue, Republican or Democrats, we ALL care about our children. We should all care about our schools. We should all be concerned that Iowa is NOT growing by leaps and bounds, in terms of population. Too many of our children are leaving the state for better jobs and better pay. Businesses that want to expand say they need more skilled workers. That’s a job for education and needs to be supported by our legislature!

We need to support our teachers, not demoralize them. We need to look at the sad history of Wisconsin, and the aftermath of the destructive bill there that the Iowa Legislature used to “write” their bill. What has happened in Wisconsin? School districts there are seeing lots of turnover in teaching staff. Teachers are unhappy. Some administrators have abused their power, which is hardly surprising, given human nature. Without the checks and balances provided for so many years by the Unions, teachers are finding it easier to look for another job than work with some administrators. Teacher pay seems to be much more variable, with some districts better able to attract teachers; however, overall pay has gone down an estimated $2,000.

Since the passage of the bill to destroy collective bargaining, I am heartened to see one thing: those who did not feel that they should get involved in politics are speaking out. People are organizing; they recognize that the only way to undo the damage is to elect legislators who truly REPRESENT their constituents and LISTEN to them. The damage to Iowa’s schools remains to be seen. However, with budget cuts, many experienced teachers retiring, and uncertainty about the impact of further legislation, our schools, Teachers’ Unions, and teachers need our SUPPORT, not attacks.

Sidebar – Highlights from two articles about the impact of Wisconsin’s Act 10 to destroy Collective Bargaining.

http://projects.jsonline.com/news/2016/10/9/from-teacher-free-agency-to-merit-pay-the-uproar-over-act-10.html

In its review, the Journal Sentinel examined spending and teacher data on the state’s 424 districts; compared old collective bargaining agreements with current employee handbooks in 100 districts; interviewed educators in 25 districts across the state; and conducted the first detailed survey of school superintendents regarding Act 10. Key findings:

· Exactly 75% of districts are losing their teachers more often after Act 10 because a competitor offered a better salary or benefits, the survey found.

· Two-thirds say they’ve been outbid for applicants and are increasingly offering special pay raises in hopes of keeping high-performing teachers.

· Nearly one-fourth of the teaching staff in Dodgeville, in southwest Wisconsin, departed this summer, mostly to job-hopping.

· By a 10-point margin, school superintendents see a negative rather than positive effect on teaching quality from “free agency,” retirements and other turnover.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/assessing-the-impact-of-act-on-wisconsin-years-later/collection_66ea3487-a88a-5c0a-aa13-87ceae934104.html

Assessing the impact of Act 10 on Wisconsin, 5 years later

· Molly Beck | Wisconsin State Journal, Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State Journal, Mark Sommerhauser | Wisconsin State Journal

Feb 11, 2016

Five years ago today, Republican Gov. Scott Walker introduced legislation that would effectively end collective bargaining for public employees and unmoor Wisconsin from its progressive roots.

Years later, Act 10 continues to influence the state's political, economic and social landscape. And it will continue to reverberate years into the future.

Today, the Wisconsin State Journal explores five impacts of Act 10 on the five-year anniversary of its introduction

1. 1. Political Division

2. 2. Teacher pay is no longer based on Education and Experience; some districts can pay more and attract teachers from nearby districts. However, one study found teacher pay was $2,000 less for base pay, compared to pay before Act 10.

3. 3. Union membership has dropped and its clout has been damaged.

4. 4. The State economy has LAGGED its neighbors. They cut Corporate and personal taxes by $3 billion. However, between June 2011 and June 2015, the state only added 133,100 jobs, which came out to 5.7% growth. Nationwide, the growth was more like 9.3%. In addition, one study estimated that Act 10 would cost about 21,000 jobs.

5. 5. Cities saved money but many experienced workers retired and it is not always easy to replace them, so many say that services have suffered.

Last updated Feb. 23, 2017