Letter: Quality not aim of teachers union

Wednesday, June 25, 2003 | 9:05 a.m.

The "Battle of wills" story in the Sunday Sun was very informative and nonpartisan. I especially appreciated Assemblywoman Sharron Angle's statement that, "There's no evidence that smaller class size leads to better education."

She is correct that this has never been about kids, it is about the Nevada teachers union's goal to add as many dues-paying members as possible in order to give them more money to lobby the legislative branch for their own selfish purposes. All the Nevada State Education Association wants is more. More money, more teachers, more paid non-classroom time, more benefits, but never more professional concern for the students and their level of achievement.

Until teachers are compensated on a merit basis, the best teachers will always be underpaid, and the worst teachers will always be overpaid because the seniority- and educational level-based system keeps the worst teacher in the system employed at the highest possible salary. Professional quality is never really a consideration, nor are the needs of the children; or the rights and financial means of the taxpayers who fund this bloated, inefficient, unfair and archaic system.

I urge the Senate and the concerned Assembly members to stay the course and keep the feet of the teachers union to the fire. Nevada schools probably need additional funding to keep up with the growth of the student population, but it must be limited to a sensible and reasonable level.

DON MCDONALD