4/15/08

Nothing much has happened. We are still waiting on my exact class numbers. The school year is winding down is it is always difficult to keep the students motivated. Fortunately many of my seniors need the class to graduate.

4/19/08

Not to much to say.

4/24/08

Below is the letter I sent to my teacher's union addressing my concerns over their non-support of a colleague in my school system.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to express my concern for the actual benefits being a dues paying member of the Frederick County Teacher Association. One of the major selling points pushed by your officers and members is the legal protection/advice that is available to dues paying members. I recently attended a meeting with the “union” lawyers for a colleague’s dismissal proceedings. I left disgusted. The sum total of advice from the lawyers and the Uniserv director present was to “resign before you are fired.”

The fact that the principal filing the charges against my colleague has numerous registered complaints filed, has breached the FCTA contract regarding his personnel file, and has breached the FCTA contract regarding treatment of teachers was summarily dismissed by the lawyers as not important. The lawyers in the meeting had to ask “what contract are you referring to” and the Uniserv director has to explain that we were referring to the negotiated contract between the FCTA and FCPS. This is not the FCTA being an advocate and protecting the teacher’s rights.

This will set a dangerous precedent. If a principal doesn’t like a teacher they can keep a secret list of infractions. According to the lawyers, this list doesn’t need to be placed in the personnel file and can be used to fire a teacher. There are teachers still teaching in this county after hitting students and my colleague, who hasn’t physically hit a student, is being persecuted by his principal while the FCTA holds his hand and recommends “resign before you are fired.”

I feel that the FCTA is doing a disservice to its members. I am sure that every member would be saddened to know that the extent of the legal protection, paid for by their dues, amounts to “resign before you are fired.”

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