(Victor Joecks/NPRI) – For the past month, NPRI has been doing our best to let CCSD teachers know that they can opt out of the Clark County Education Association — but only by submitting written notice by July 15, which is this Sunday.
(A generic opt-out letter is here for any teachers looking to leave the union.)
As I talk with more and more teachers, I find that each teacher has their own reasons for leaving — some are upset with how union officials waste teachers’ dues on lavish salaries, others are upset by union policies or politics and others are thrilled to learn about alternative educator associations, like AAE, that offer better benefits than CCEA for only $15 a month.
Nathan Warner is a fourth-grade teacher in CCSD. Here are his thoughts on why teachers should leave CCEA.
There’s one obvious reason for relatively new teachers to not support the union: self-interest. The union does not represent these teachers. It eats its young, demanding raises for senior teachers at the expense of new teachers’ jobs. But the problem is more complex than only the determined pursuits of opposing self-interests. There’s no doubt that this is a losing issue, for teachers, for parents, for students. There are two more reasons that teachers should reconsider paying dues.
The first is the tactics embraced by this union: bad-mouthing the district, behaving churlishly at official meetings and a refusal to face facts. …
The second reason is that our work affects far more than our own isolated selves. It affects our families, our children and community. We help form people, giving them the ability and even the motivation to pursue their dreams and make their lives their own.
Read the whole thing here.
Teachers have a choice about leaving CCEA, but only if they submit written notice to CCEA’s office by July 15. If you want your voice to be heard, act fast.
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