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As a union rep at UH, I have been made deeply aware just recently of the importance of protecting and respecting teachers' rights -- a constant battle with school administrations who answer more to "moneyed" boards than to the necessity of a unfettered faculty and the rights of faculty and students. The sanctity and importance of free speech, open classrooms, and having teachers unafraid to speak and or teach is seriously being challenged -- with the losers being the students in the short term, and the nation in the longer.
Unquestioned, unchallenged administrative decisions are wrecking schools, draining the schools of excellent teachers, and undermining the foundations of a pretty good educational system. And, this is a far more serious problem at private schools, notorious for their employment policies and or lack of a protective review and appeal process for teachers. Creative teachers are not going to allow themselves to be "managed" by a bottom-line mentality, and by the non-educator at the helm of a school. They just leave, and far too often those left behind make no serious challenge to the bean counters, or people wanting a lock-step staff. Unions have enormous problems, but they do ensure that a fair process exists for teachers, who are far too often blamed for problems and easy targets.
A good school ultimately is the direct result of what happens in the classroom, and when that objective is mistreated by an unbalanced employment process by unethical administrators, the value and standard of the school will be diminished.
Vinnie Linares
Kula