Nashua students rally to support teachers

I am appalled that parents are not distressed over this matter, it only goes to show the many decades of indoctrination into socialism that has gone on in our public schools. My guess is that these children have no idea as to how much these teachers actually make, the benefits they receive, how many hours they actually work and the how much their constitutionally protected pensions will be in the future. These children may also have no idea as to how much their parents pay in taxes and how that is taking away from their very own college funds. My guess is that these children have no concept of free markets or economics.

According to the NECAP scores 45% of eleventh graders tested "substantially below proficient" in math. Do you think these children can really understand the consequences of a teachers contract and the impact it has on the community and the pension system.

The following article appeared in the Union Leader.


Nashua students rally to support teachers
By SUZANNE BATES
Union Leader Correspondent



NASHUA – A group of fired-up students stood in the early morning cold outside their school yesterday to show support for their teachers, who have been working without a contract since September 2006.

About 60 Nashua High School North students held signs with slogans, including "Our Teachers are Priceless" and "Time for a Contract," as they urged passing cars to honk to show their support.

Students Megan Caron, Billy Flynn and Sonia Baker said they organized the rally to show the teachers they're behind them.

"No matter what our differences are on the contract, we all support our teachers," Caron said.

Teachers are on a work-to-rule schedule, so there are fewer clubs or other extracurricular activities, said Caron.

"I support the work to rule," she said. "The teachers are having a hard time with it."


Nashua High School North students Katie Delaney, Kaitlin Scheerhoorn and Elizabeth Amaral demonstrate outside their school yesterday to show support for their teachers, who have been working without a contract for 18 months. (SUZANNE BATES)

Nashua North Principal David Ryan said he was aware of the demonstration and that he admired the students for supporting their teachers.

He said his only request was that participating students make it to class on time. The 22 students who stayed out past the morning bell will probably receive detention, he said.

Negotiations between teachers and district officials have been going on for 18 months. Several contracts have been sent to the board of aldermen for a vote, but none have made it through untouched.

The rhetoric on both sides heated up this week when teachers responded to the city's actions on the newest version of the long-contested contract.

City aldermen approved the tentative agreement, but the number of supporters wasn't enough to add the money it would have taken to fully fund the contract.

After Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau used a line-item veto to strike retroactive raises from the contract -- raises teachers would have received for the 2006-07 school year -- teachers voted Tuesday to give union officials the authority to call any type of job action, including a strike.

Under New Hampshire law, it is illegal for teachers to strike.

"Teachers and school nurses have reached the end of their rope.

They have compromised and conceded enough. It is time for the city leaders to get serious and agree to a package that shows respect and fairness for these professionals," said Robert Sherman, teacher union president, in a press release.

Yesterday, union and district negotiators released a press release saying they were at an impasse over the mayor's actions and would move to mediation.

A meeting, to be moderated by the mediator, will be held in two weeks, according to the release. Lozeau, Nashua Superintendent Christopher Hottell, representatives from the Board of Alderman, the Board of Education and union officials are expected to attend.

Relevant Quotes to the article above.

The millions of dollars which we devote every year to high-school education are, for the most part, money spent for the retarding of intelligence, the discouragement of efficiency, the stunting of character.
– Bernard Iddings Bell (1949)

Academies that are founded at public expense are instituted not so much to cultivate men's natural abilities as to restrain them.

– Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

[T]he child should be taught to consider his instructor...superior to the parent in point of authority.... The vulgar impression that parents have a legal right to dictate to teachers is entirely erroneous.... Parents have no remedy as against the teacher.
– John Swett, Superintendent of California Public School System (1860s)