Jim N. Reed to Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Education Profession Paying for Inattention

From Jim N. Reed, April 2, 2011

Inattention to the operations of our professional organizations, misunderstanding the power of the political arena, and succumbing to apathy and passivity have finally caught up with educators, active and retired.

How many dues-paying ORTA members are pleased with the "working behind the scenes" policy adopted by state leadership as they sit on their hands and refuse to actively denounce the cut in retirees' uncompounded COLA as proposed by our own STRS and OEA?

How many actives are pleased with our professional union's proposals to increase educator retirement contributions, years of service and age for full retirement, number of years for calculating FAS while decreasing earned benefits? Concurrently, OEA and STRS continue to maintain bonuses paid by our dues for our employees are necessary to keep the best and brightest even though these same six-figure administrators were monitoring nearly $40 billion lost by these same six-figure investors.

OEA has denounced proposals for balancing the unfunded liability of STRS as it adversely affects actives but has separated itself from the adversity aimed at retirees. Retirees have fewer options to deal with the loss of benefits. Retirees no longer pay dues unless they made the mistake of becoming life-timers. In some fashion our profession's organizations have fabricated a wedge between actives and retirees. STRS board elections and minutes are indicators.

The political agenda of our "throw-'em-under-the-bus," "union back-breaker" governor has put education in further jeopardy. Political apathy and misplaced ideology have painted education and educators into a corner. Along with other public servants we have become whipping boys and girls for the alleged state and national fiscal disaster. Though there remains some question as to the real purpose of union-busting, pitting public servants against the private sector, addressing a budget crisis and/or promoting a political power-grab, by the current administration there seems to be little doubt that apathy and misunderstood political policy supported the recent election of education-unfriendly officials. (There is at least one survey indicating more than half of Ohio's voting educators opted for this governor.)

Perhaps current events have stirred educators to actively participate in a crossroads of their profession and in the shaping of the society of our children and grandchildren.

Jim N. Reed
Educator
Baltimore, OH