Watch the education blogs for the next day or so and you will likely see comments precipitated by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Evidently, he and Michael Dell (Dell Computers) were discussing the role of technology in schools during a Texas conference on educational reform. Jobs reportedly suggested that technology would have little educational impact until unions stop protecting poor teachers.
What is interesting at present is that the blogs picking up on this story have been focused on whether a business leader should make such statements considering that the company he represents does well in the education market. I guess those concerned about Apple’s bottom line might take this perspective.
There seem to be many business leaders focused on education lately. We all have opinions on matters we understand only through peripheral vision. Often such views lack clarity, but sometimes a different angle brings new insight.
By the way, the conclusions in “Tough Choices or Tough Times” are far more critical of less competent teachers than anything Jobs said. Perhaps this report, which is far more likely to influence government eduation policy, was not read in detail by the same folks now critical of Jobs. So, if you consider criticism of weak teachers grounds for boycotting Apple, check out the list associated with Tough Choices or Tough Times – perhaps you should sell your stock in Viacom, Lucent, and Motorola. Wait – you should also give up your membership in the Toledo Federation of Teachers and the Communication Workers of America. I see a lot of Republicans on this list – wait there are a couple of democrats…
My personal experience with unions has been minimal – I did have a disagreement with a union rep when as a first-year faculty members in financially depressed New York state. I suggested that the last in, first out retrenchment policy did not encourage my union membership and the alternate “bargaining fee” seemed unnecessary because assurance that union policies were followed was not a service I needed. It was not that I felt the policy was unfair. It just seemed unfair I should have to pay to have it implemented. Perhaps I was young and foolish at the time.
There had to be a better way to make this same point. Perhaps – We need to find a way to offer incentives for effective teachers so that a greater number of capable individuals are attracted to teaching as a vocation.
Here is an RSS of news stories on this topic.
