RH Jones: Active teacher voter registry part of job evaluation?

From RH Jones, April 11, 2012

To all:

As the November election will be here faster than we can imagine, I would like to resend to you my message below. It is to remind union leaders and active teachers to do what has to be done to get teachers registered to vote. Boards of Education should not employ teachers who lack the civic responsibility to register to vote. Yes, today any citizen can easily find out if you voted, or not. Our public school system is being threatened with extinction by the far-right who now control our Ohio government and is financed, by wealthy individuals and corporation in our state and out, in such as groups as the American Legislative Election Commission (ALEC). Therefore, not to vote is writing your own termination of employment one way, or the other.

Further, for any promotion to public school administrator, in addition to background checks, voting registry should also be included in the promotion consideration. In my opinion, if you do not care enough to vote, how can you be considered to be a leader of American professional educators whom, all of them, must include teaching the American way in every aspect - whether it is the 3-Rs, history, science, physical education, art, or music. Better yet, teachers and administrators who run for political office and are elected in that capacity, and back Ohio Public School District education, should be awarded with the highest job evaluation by their respective Boards of Education. Such individuals should be held in the highest honor for setting such an example of responsible civic leadership to the youngsters and educators in their charge. All citizens will be better off in the spin off of prosperity that parallels education for all.

RHJones

Subject: Re: Active teacher voter registry part of evaluation?

To all Union Leaders and their Members: 16 May2011

While professional retired public school teachers have no tangible penalties for not voting, union leaders should call in each those active public school teachers, who are not registered to vote, to advise them of the importance of their voting as a responsibility of union membership protections.

We in the public school system are unfortunately sometimes at the mercy of cynical politicians who want to destroy public schools; therefore, it is imperative that all members get registered to vote. In order for a teacher to have the enthusiastic backing of the union representation at evaluation time, or when their employment is in jeopardy, they need to know that a major part of being a professional teacher union member is voting for traditional education friendly politicians.

As the end of the 2010-2011 school year comes to a close, it is evaluation time for each educator. To find if union members are registered to vote, or not, you leaders can find if they are registered by logging on to: www.co.summit.oh.us/election Click the “Voter Information” tab, then click “Voter Registration Lookup”; Type in the name, click “Details”. I have written in my Summit County in the above as an example; just write in the county where the individual resides.

Certainly teaching students American Democracy throughout the grades Pre-K-16, of course at different levels and techniques, requires professional teachers to set an example for students by voting. In last November’s election, surely if all active educators had taken the time to do their duty by researching political candidates and then voting for education friendly political candidates, the traditional public schools systems would not be so threatened today. Unions, or if you would rather call them associations, need to crack down and get tough on non-professional educators who cannot take the time to support their school systems by voting.

Union leaders need to “earn their keep” by enforcing this vital activity that is so crucial for Ohio’s children and their teacher’s livelihood. The alternative to not voting last November is now known to all: We would have knowledgeable representatives in office that fully support traditional public school district education had all professional educators voted. Our present tragedy would have been averted. We cannot let this happen ever again. A professional teacher VOTES!

RHJones, a retired teacher