Blame policymakers, not teachers or unions, for school woes | READER COMMENTARY

Scott Walter’s recent commentary regarding teacher unions is simply an attack on them using a list of fallacious examples meant to elicit disfavor and not provide facts (“Baltimore parents should demand more from educators,” May 20).

The Maryland State Education Association and its local affiliates do not negotiate what is taught and receive no funds from taxpayers. He acknowledges MSEA’s money comes from teachers but suggests it is money that should be spent on schools. Walter is essentially saying teachers do not have the right to choose where they spend money.  He is probably someone who also states money won’t fix education.

The writer does get one thing right in his statement about “when educational policy is ruled by the powerful few.” Most educational policy and laws are not created by educators, but by legislators at the state and federal level. Much of the No Child Left Behind Act and the recent Every Student Succeeds Act were influenced more by business practices than good education practice. His reference to Bill Gates affirms my assertions.

Teachers are leaving the profession because they experience little autonomy. As reported in The Foundation for Economic Education, “the lack of autonomy can be traced back to the standardization of the educational system.”

The bottom line is there is no correlation between the money MSEA has and educational outcomes. There are no failing schools, only failing policies. If Walter wants better outcomes in education, he needs to address the policymakers.

— Edward Kitlowski, Loch Hill

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