Political Teachers Unions Oppress Black Students
The Democrat-run teachers unions profit from keeping black students in failing public schools
Teachers’ unions resist any attempt to improve schools, offer school choice, or even hold teachers accountable who abuse students
75% of Black Democrats want school choice. Because of the Teachers Unions, the Democratic Party will never give us what we want.
In the sprawling landscape of Texas education, a silent yet potent force operates behind the scenes, shaping the future of countless children with a grip of iron clad in velvet. It’s time to pull back the curtain on the teacher unions of Texas, entities often portrayed as powerless in political spheres yet wielding influence that directly contradicts this benign image. The narrative that these unions lack political clout is, frankly, a well-crafted facade that masks a deep-seated entanglement in public education policies, particularly those against school choice and educational freedom.
Amidst the cacophony of voices clamoring for increased funding for Texas’s education system, a critical examination reveals a more nuanced reality. The persistent narrative that Texas is grossly underfunded in education obscures the actual crux of the issue: it is not a lack of funds but rather how these funds are being allocated and utilized. The real culprits here are the bloated contracts, exorbitant administrative salaries, and the dubious practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying that prioritizes the education industry’s interests over the actual educational outcomes for students.
An in-depth analysis of the expenditure patterns within Texas’s education system reveals a disproportionate amount of funding being funneled into administrative overheads. This includes lavish salaries for top-tier administrators, often dwarfing the remuneration of those on the front lines – the teachers and support staff who are directly involved in shaping our students' futures. This imbalance is more than a budgetary misstep; it indicates misaligned priorities within the system.
Moreover, using taxpayer dollars for lobbying efforts further exacerbates this misdirection of educational funds. Instead of channeling resources into initiatives that directly enhance student learning experiences or improve teacher support, substantial amounts are being diverted to sustain lobbying efforts. More often than not, these efforts are geared towards maintaining the status quo – a status quo that benefits the bureaucracy of the education system, not the students or educators it is supposed to serve.
In light of these revelations, the argument that Texas’s educational woes stem from underfunding falls apart. The issue is not the quantity of funds but the quality of their distribution and use. Reallocating these resources away from administrative excesses and lobbying efforts and towards areas that directly impact student learning and teacher support could significantly improve educational outcomes.
The conversation needs to shift from a myopic focus on increasing funding to a more nuanced discussion about funding efficiency and effectiveness. By addressing these systemic inefficiencies, Texas can better fulfill its obligation to provide quality education to all its students. This education equips them with the skills and knowledge to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Consider the influence of figures like Randi Weingarten, whose staggering compensation of $543,562 in 2020, as disclosed in the AFT’s tax return, speaks volumes of the lobbying power at play. When unions endorse candidates, especially rural Republicans, more invested in real estate than educational reform, a pattern emerges. These approved members of Congress and Texas senators consistently vote against school choice legislation, ESAs (Education Savings Accounts), and vouchers. Instead of following the student and providing equitable educational opportunities, the funds are funneled into building what essentially become factories for failure in underprivileged areas and elitist education citadels in affluent neighborhoods.
The discrepancies don’t end there. Texas sees administrators in public education drawing disproportionately high salaries, a stark contrast to the meager trickle-down of public funding sourced from property taxes (a whopping 47% of Dallas’s annual budget) to teachers and students. This imbalance speaks not just of misallocated resources but of misplaced priorities.
Transitioning to the subject of ESAs and vouchers, it’s essential to underscore their significance. These instruments could empower families to seek diverse educational environments - micro-schools, boarding schools, or specialized institutions for students grappling with home setbacks, bullying, or trauma. Of the 237 schools in Texas deemed for students considered dangerous or at risk, only three offer this crucial specialized attention. This is more than an oversight; it’s a systemic failure.
Looking at the broader picture of educational reform in Texas, the results are nothing short of egregious. Independent School Districts (ISDs) have increasingly favored the administrative class, enforcing new cultural and ideological themes at the expense of academic achievements. The impact? A divergence from the core mission of education.
Furthermore, tying teachers’ salaries to student performance has precipitated a worrying trend. Under the stress of securing bonuses, teachers may prioritize performance metrics over what’s genuinely beneficial for the student. This approach has led to an assembly line production of students ill-equipped for life’s challenges post-graduation, leaving families with scant options to influence their children’s educational journey.
In a state like Texas, where property taxes fund public education, the financial burden on families seeking private education is akin to paying twice for an ideal learning environment. This setup disproportionately favors the upper middle class and wealthy, perpetuating a cycle of educational inequality.
In delving deeper into the myriad issues plaguing Texas’s education system, we must address an alarming trend: the escalating inappropriate relationships between students and educators, including teachers and support staff. While the perpetrators of these reprehensible acts are eventually apprehended, the damage inflicted upon the students is profound and enduring. The victims are often left in a state of trauma, desperately needing specialized environments not just to continue their education but to heal.
This situation is compounded by the stark lack of adequate facilities or programs for drug treatment and therapy for children who have suffered abuse. The absence of such critical support systems means that these deep psychological wounds remain untreated. As a result, these young individuals, already burdened by the scars of their experiences, are thrust into adulthood woefully ill-equipped to handle the complexities of everyday life.
The dire need for diverse educational environments and support systems has never been more apparent. With its current structure and resources, the traditional public school setting needs to be more capable of providing the necessary care and attention for students grappling with such severe personal issues. This inadequacy is not just a failure of policy; it’s a failure of empathy and understanding of the holistic needs of our children.
Herein lies the indispensable role of ESAs and vouchers. By enabling access to a variety of educational settings – from specialized schools adept at handling trauma to institutions equipped for comprehensive drug rehabilitation and counseling – we can offer these young souls a fighting chance. These alternative environments can provide the tailored care and support essential for healing and personal development.
To persist in denying this choice is to willfully ignore the cries for help echoing through the halls of our schools. It’s an endorsement of a system that prioritizes administrative convenience over the well-being of the individuals it purports to serve. In the face of such blatant disregard for student welfare, advocating for school choice becomes more than a policy stance; it’s a moral imperative. With its proud heritage of championing the underdog, Texas must rise to meet this challenge – for the sake of our children and the future we envision for them.
Therefore, school choice is not just a policy preference but a necessity. ESAs and vouchers offer a unilateral solution to this dilemma. To deny them is to endorse an educational apartheid that segregates not just based on economic lines and zip codes but on the very potential of our children. In a state famed for its spirit of independence and opportunity, it’s high time our education system reflected these values. Anything less is a disservice to the future.
