What impact will a union have on PALCS?

It has been said, ‘be careful what you wish, lest it come true.”  Just as a dog chasing a car finds the goal of its pursuit disappointing, the teachers and staff at PALCS will find that their goal in pursing a union will produce disappoint results. Here are several pros and the unexpected cons that may result from this change.

Unions will give teachers higher wages. (On average union employees make 20% more than non-union employees.)

The school will be forced to lay off employees.

Unions will give the teachers more say in the administration of the school’s money.

The school administration will make decisions based upon what they view as what is best for the school. If they are pressured to direct the resources in a certain way, then they will allocate resources in a way that can produce adversarial results. In other schools this has resulted in larger class sizes, and hurt the quality of instruction.

A union will give our school stability.

The PSEAA has not been our friend when it comes to lobbying. If the union members were successful there would not be cyber schools. The early faculty at PALCS saw the unions as an enemy not a friend. If every cyber school is unionized, then what will be the outlook for state wide cyber schools? It is not a reach to predict that state wide cyber schools will become extinct.

A union will give me job security.

This may be true for some teachers. Teachers who choose to be union members will be protected by longer term contracts. Staff on the other hand will be at risk. It is conceivable that some jobs will be contracted out to save money in the interest of guaranteeing jobs and wage increases. New teachers are not likely to be hired. Once again larger class size will hurt the quality of education.

A union will guarantee benefits

This is also true, but at what cost? I read the union contract of Upper Darby School District this past summer. The percentage for tuition reimbursement was much higher at Penn State than at other schools. So unless you wanted to attend Penn State you probably would not further you education. These are the kind of compromises that are made when administration and the union are pushed into a corner. These compromises are made in order to fulfill a contract. The only problem is if you are not the one negotiating, then you are not represented well.

Unfortunately, guaranteed benefits will also reduce flexibility. Options for health care plans will not exist. Parental leave will likely follow the letter of the law, and flex time will no longer be available.

Should cyber charter schools have a union?

Cyber charter schools represent innovation in the charter school movement. Cyber charter schools like regular charter schools operate apart from local politics. This gives them the freedom to try out new strategies of education to increase student achievement. Cyber charter schools are only bound by their charters. They represent a least restrictive environment to many students who struggle with public alienation or bullying. When we place a union into this type of environment, it might be compared to placing an electric motor into a model T automobile. It may fit in the space, but there is nowhere to make the connections. The working conditions of a cyber teacher differ vastly from a traditional teacher in a brick and mortar environment. Teachers in a cyber environment typically work in the cubical farms of corporate America, have larger class loads, and respond asynchronously to instant messages all day from their students. In traditional education teachers’ work in classrooms, have smaller class loads, and work simultaneously with a class in a group environment with little time for individual interaction. These working conditions are different. The structures supporting them should be different also. When an organization representing millions of people attempts to represent these constituents, there is likely to be misrepresentation and, at the minimum, a great deal of confusion.