California Whistleblower Case Shows Union Protection of Teachers

In reality, the teacher unions’ resistance to evaluations has a lot to do with protecting ALL teachers, no matter how lousy they are at teaching – or much, much worse, as this story shows:

A recent spate of school-based sex-abuse cases shows what can happen when teachers and administrators neglect their most basic responsibility—protecting those in their charge. The shocking crimes and ensuing cover-up at Penn State rocked the country and made national headlines. The case of Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt horrified Los Angeles parents, especially as details emerged that the adults in charge suspected the first-grade teacher was up to no good for nearly two decades and did nothing. When an adult in a position of school authority does act responsibly, taking precautions to protect the children in her care, one might expect appreciation, even celebration. For principal Eileen Blagden, though, things didn’t work out that way.

…How can someone like Kevin Kirby remain eligible to teach while a devoted and courageous educator like Eileen Blagden sees her career destroyed? To ask the question is to answer it. Until authorities in charge of our public schools put morality above self-interest, children will remain at risk from irresponsible and sometimes even dangerous teachers. And as Blagden’s case shows, children aren’t the only victims.

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