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education
May 2007 
Organizing Teachers: Traditional vs. Charter Public Schools
Posted on Sep 21st, 2006
by 
Michael
Michael
Yet another reason why I am optimistic on the future of education:
Sept. 21, 2006
Sept. 21, 2006
David W. Kirkpatrick Senior Education Fellow
U.S. Freedom Foundation www.FreedomFoundation.us
Organizing Teachers: Traditional vs. Charter Public Schools, an Update
U.S. Freedom Foundation www.FreedomFoundation.us
Organizing Teachers: Traditional vs. Charter Public Schools, an Update
Some aspects of traditional vs. charter public schools get little or no attention from either the general or the professional press. Two of them are union attempts to organize schools in each segment, and the question of teacher strikes within each.
It hasn't gone totally unnoticed that most charter school teachers have not joined unions. It is even rarer for them to go on strike.
It hasn't gone totally unnoticed that most charter school teachers have not joined unions. It is even rarer for them to go on strike.
The problem with organizing charter school teachers goes beyond their resistance to unions, which may exist with any group of teachers. But let's take the example of a mythical large urban district, since these are the ones most likely to be organized, and also the ones most likely to strike on occasion.
Assume a district with 250 public schools and 15,000 teachers, an average of 60 teachers per school. When either the National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers wants to organize such a district they need to win a majority of teacher votes districtwide, not a majority at each of the 250 schools. And this is not a minor matter. In such elections it has not been uncommon for a majority of teachers at many individual schools to vote not to organize, while, districtwide, a majority votes for the union.
In short, the union has an advantage.
A second union plus is that successfully organizing 15,000 teachers in one district can be very profitable. With total annual union dues - local, state and national of, say, $500 and more, the winner can receive $7,500,000 or more in dues. This can provide a quick profit on the money spent to organize.
Now, assume the same number of teachers in charter schools, and there are already far more than 15,000 of them. The problems of organizing them are many. One is the resistance of the teachers. While that may exist in any school, charter teachers have a good reason to avoid the unions - the strong opposition the unions have to the existence of charter schools.
A second is that few charter schools are in a relatively compact area. That presents a major, and expensive, obstacle to unions. However, let's pretend that doesn't exist and consider 15,000 charter school teachers in one major urban area. Since the average charter school has fewer teachers the union may face the task of organizing 1,000 schools, rather than just 250, and 15 teachers at each school, rather than 60. While attempting to organize 15 teachers per school may not cost as much as organizing 60, it will cost more on a per-teacher basis, and thus make it more difficult to quickly recoup the funds in annual dues.
From the union viewpoint there's more bad news. Since most charter schools are standalones, autonomous in many ways, the union must win at each and every one of them. A collective vote does not apply.
Attempts to strike present the final straw. Since charter schools are largely separate entities, any decision to strike at one school would have no effect on the other schools. However the other schools would pose a serious threat to the striking teachers whose students, being in schools of choice, could transfer to an open school.
And they would. The 9,500-member Detroit Federation of Teachers just concluded a 16-day strike. Whatever the merits of doing so, from the union's point of view, Detroit is a district in serious financial distress and enrollment has been dropping, reportedly down 11,000 last year alone, to about 130,000 students currently.
And they would. The 9,500-member Detroit Federation of Teachers just concluded a 16-day strike. Whatever the merits of doing so, from the union's point of view, Detroit is a district in serious financial distress and enrollment has been dropping, reportedly down 11,000 last year alone, to about 130,000 students currently.
According to U.S. News & World Report, as a result of the strike parents enrolled their children in neighboring districts. Most significantly, a school district spokesman said the strike caused "thousands of students to flee to charter schools." Whatever the actual number, it would have been even higher if the charter schools could accept more.
It can be expected that many will not return, causing a larger drop in enrollment. Fewer students. Fewer teachers. Fewer union members.
There is growing opposition to teacher union power and strikes. Attempts are being made to counter this legislatively. The charter school movement may be more of a threat, even greater than the unions yet realize.
And one they can't stop.
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And one they can't stop.
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"There is absolutely no question that American education as it exists today will not be tolerated by the American people, by the business community, by our policy leaders for more than another few years." Albert Shanker late President, American Federation of Teachers, quoted, p. 2, Linda Morrison, "Why Conventional Education Reform Fails: The Case for Market-Based Restructuring, Harrisburg, PA: The Commonwealth Foundation, March 1991.
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