Teacher Strikes - Go For It

Dateline, 3/25/13: The Strongsville, OH teachers on strike for higher wages. They have been on strike for several weeks. Students are being taught by substitutes.  The District's active goal is to make a deal with the teachers.   A bargaining session is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 26, 2013) morning.*  According to Superintendent John Krupinski on the requested demand, his answer was short and to the point: "It's unsustainable and unaffordable."  True or not true?  Let's take a look. 

I don't see what the fuss is all about in Strongsville, OH.  The unions are protecting their constituency, namely their members.  When all is said, the students are their product, and the school building is their factory. When has any union going on strike worried about their product or the factory for that matter.  Go union!  As long as they are producing a product of competitive excellence, they should go for the gold, the benefits, the job security, the retirement, or whatever they want.

Other unions have done this. Entrepreneurs do this, academics do this.  Everyone that can does this.  The moral and ethical arguments just seem not to apply.

Yet, all this seems to be a redux of the situation in the auto industry only two decades ago. Demands for wages and working conditions exceeded the competitive ability for compensation.    Enter the robots.  Robots have replaced thousands of workers.  The entire auto industry now uses robots extensively.  Quality has improved!   See what's going on with BMW, one of the premium auto manufacturers.  http://www.youtube.com/embed/libw1rV2McY?feature=player_detailpage 

Robots have replaced countless workers, not only in the USA but other countries as well.  Pop Quiz: Give three reasons why you might use robots in any manufacturing concern.

Can education be invaded by robots?  Probably not - or maybe?  BUT... Enter the MOOC, the Massive Open Online Course. These courses will certainly prove to be cheaper; the verdict is out on efficacy.  But, cynical though this sounds, is efficacy really an important issue any more?  That aside...

School districts, unable to pay for increasing demands by teachers for more wages, benefits, security, and a host of other costs,  may turn to the MOOC option.  Sure, the kids in K-12 need face-to-face help and personal supervision.  But does this require a licensed teacher?  Districts may opt to hire teacher assistants/tutors, those hired that know the materials but are not licensed to actually teach.  This is done now. The tutor you hire for your children may not be licensed, but you have trust in their ability.  It may happen the licensed teacher will be replaced by the video/applet intervention.   The scale may widen. It may widen the sky.

The videos will be expertly produced and attractively packaged. They already are.  This takes the "flipped classroom" concept to the absolute end. Assistants/tutors will provide the daily problem solving help.  

This eliminates the morality and ethics; it eliminates disputes; it increases education; it eliminates budget shortfalls. The argument looks simple.

What are districts to do when faced with impossible budget outlays?  How will they pay the bills?  The public will simply not pay increased taxes for ever increasing education costs, when all evidence shows that education in the United States is at best mediocre.  The Unions should show the job they are doing is excellent, and local students are internationally at the top of the scale. 

Our kids deserve the best, and when we get it, we will pay the bill.  Happily!!!

"Paying more for the same thing doesn't make it better."
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*http://strongsville.patch.com/articles/strongsville-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight