You should be ashamed of yourselves for doing this. You're embarrassing you're children. Do you not realize you WILL have to see these teachers again in such things as parent-teacher conferences? Have fun facing them again:)

Facts are facts. Over $60k average salary for 9 months of work? Benefits that are better than the average worker. 15 sick days? A term life insurance policy for $100k paid for by us tax payers? READ the actual contracts. In the 80's Reagan fired the airc traffic controllers, replaced all of them. No planes went down. If someone does not like their working conditions, guess what.....they get another job. Fire them all

All,

Please don't engage Lyn Shady in an argument anymore. Please review the subject about the 2nd Teacher arrest (towards the bottom) and note she entered into a debate with a poster named Bernie Madoff. Please read the debate, which at the end, Lyn concedes the main point we are all debating. It was a systematic destruction of the SEA's "emotional argument" when confronted with facts.

Nice to have you join our side (right side) Lyn.

I have absolutely no problem facing any teacher what so ever. I am not the one who walked away, they have to explain to me.

You do realize that the board is the one that is refusing to negotiate, right? Per, the PD Frazee said that they are not budging from their offer and not countering the teachers most recent offer. When the petition asks the SEA to settle, that's impossible to do until your Board heroes choose to negotiate.

Student, There is a reason that the teachers have been engaging (intimidating) children. Because they can. It does not work with adults. If you think for a second any of us are worried about facing the teachers at conferences, you would be misguided. I am anxiously waiting the opportunity to have a discussion with these individuals. You are so confused. We are not the ones who decided to disrupt the entire school year. Think about the seniors who will have this memory for their last school year. Think about those students who have AP testing coming up. If you don't think that teachers planned this to inflict as much pain on everyone (students and parents) as possible, you are wrong. They are not thinking about you students (if you are a student), they are thinking about themselves.

Abe--The board made it clear....it was their FINAL OFFER

I read the last SEA proposal and I think the BOE would be wasting their time responsding to it. The sides are so far apart. The SEA should not have wasted the paper to print the document. More taxpayer money wasted.

Put a levy on the ballot and let the taxpayers determine if they want to spend the millions of dollars that the teachers are requesting.

Teachers:::
Please stay on strike summer is just arround the corner.........
Will you be on the picket line when school is closed??
Will anybody care news or taxpaing Strongsville residents???
How is Cobra working out???
HUMMMMMMM

Strongdad,that's your opinion but my point still remains, if the board won't negotiate how are they supposed to settle. Saying "here's our offer, take it our leave it" isn't negotiating. So really, the petition should be changed from "calling for the teachers to settle" to "calling for the teachers to accept the proposal that that the board is shoving down their throats". However, I am guessing that wouldn't sound as nice in their worthless online petition.

Hey, I read that every week the teachers are on strike, the schools save approximately 1 million dollars, minus expenses to the subs and security. So if my "Forecasted" numbers are correct, it this by chance goes into the summer, the schools won't need a levy. Hopefully though, the subs will continue to grow and improve and the kids won't miss a beat, because that is what we want, even though these strikers(not teachers) don't.

You only negotiate with reasonable people.

Strongsvillemother, good one!!!! You really got them!!!! Great contribution!!!!!

Do they like their working conditions NOW?

The board can't negotiate anymore. A final offer is a final offer. Any more money and a levy will have to go on the ballot. And it will NOT pass. Teachers need to see this. ALL the cards are on the table. There is no money hidden. Teachers-take it or quit so we can hire teachers who really care about our kids.

Ville mom, all of what you said is incorrect (except for a levy not passing- that has been happening for years with our without a teacher strike). Did you just make that up out of thin air and post it as fact?

I wonder what all the teacher bashers will be posting about once the board actually does give in to some of the unions demands.... because yes, they will.... accept it.

Thankfully for this community and the children, the words of lyn, tad, myron, sville mom, The POTTER FAMILY, ect... have no impact or bearing on any of the negotiations.

Real Lyn, you hit the nail on the head. You know who is going to be most upset when this ends, Debbie Palmer and The Patch. They will have to go back to "reporting" about new grocery stores and kids stealing gum at Sheetz.

Keep telling yourself that Shady. We are counting on that.

wow in the 108 pages of the sea contract according to lyn shady the issues for zero money outnumber calls for money .......right like $20 per student over 23 room class size "manageable class sizes"

The REAL Lyn Shady
9:08 am on Friday, March 8, 2013
the board will not even negotiate on issues that will cost ZERO MONEY... this is NOT all about money

Aren't you guys supposed to have a counter protest?

Strongsvillemother, weren't you organizing a counter protest? Or are you just another keyboard warrior?

Went to Chapman today. Things seem as normal as can be. Parents have taken to decorating the halls, students work is hanging in the hallway. The bare walls are full of life again. Great job parents for making our children feel at home again.

And for all of you public union lovers out there screaming that the teachers "deserve" their ridiculously generous pay and benefits, just a couple of questions.
1) At what point would what the union is asking for be MORE than the teachers deserve? If they wanted a 10% raise every year, should we just quietly hand it over because teachers are just such a superior subset of our species that we should be glad it's not 20%?
2) How do you, or anyone for that matter, know what a teacher deserves? They never get evaluated on their merits. Should I just assume that everyone with a teacher's certificate is just amazing at their job (well, that is of course unless they cross a union picket line to teach our kids, in which case they are the scum of the earth)? What about the lousy teachers I've had in my life in addition to the good ones? You're saying they all deserve whatever they're asking for, no matter how much they might suck at their jobs?
Sorry, I forgot the lessons that I've learned from teacher's union mouthpieces over the years. ALL teachers are heroes. ALL teachers are wonderful. ALL teachers care oh so much about kids. It's just amazing that of all professions in the world, public school teaching is the only one with a 100% awesomeness ratio.

The rally was set for 6:30 am I am going to schedule another one. Bring a sign and find out more info throughout the day at 4taxpayers.com

If anyone who is currently posting on here would like to join me now I have plenty of signs to go around speaking against the teacher's union. We can yak politics while standing in the cold. It's actually been quite wonderful to see the taxpayers supporting this idea. 4taxpayers.com

I'm currently warming up in my car but ill get back out there soon. Let me know if anyone is coming. :)

Hi Tad, I show it and loved it. Thanks!

For all you a final offer is a final offer folks. That's fine, but the school system you have today is the school system you get for at least the rest of the year. High school kids going to class for an hour or so and then wandering the community. Elementary schools only partially staffed and not really teaching. I'm really impressed with what the spring athletes are doing, but they don't get a season, period. None of the required state given because the staffing requirements from the state cannot be met. Which means the Excellent with Distinction sign comes down, funding from the state is reduced next year and sophomores are not eligible to graduate. Stop throwing your tantrum and grow up. Both sides need to negotiate, not all the issues even involve your precious tax dollars. Right now the board is the side refusing to talk.

Taxpayers will negotiate...without the union.

LETS COME TOGETHER PARENTS.

Every passing day sees this go farther beyond an ability to return to normal. IF the teachers come back, they will be pissy and blame everything on retaliaton for the strike. At the same time, they will retaliate against any kid who spoke against them or if their parents did. I think we are fine with moving on.

Does anyone find it incredibly creepy that these teachers are texting high school students like they're running some kind of gambit together? Are we supposed to believe that if these clowns ever get back into the classroom, they're going to apply the same level of academic and disciplinary rigor to their "cohorts in crime" as they will to the other students, including those that spoke out against them?

Melissa, that's just ignorance talking. Ever heard of the National Labor Relations Board? I'm not a big fan of unions, but little old Stringsville is not going to change how the NLRB functions. Stomp your feet, hold a rally, demand these teachers all be fired. Not going to happen, not this year. The issue now, the only issue, is how do we get the board to return to negotiations so this can be ended.

Be clear, until negotiations resume this will not end and the current roadblock to negotiations is the BOE.

Jim, again, stop living in fantasy land NLRB. these teachers are coming back. Our best hope for a return to normal is for the board to stop blocking negotiations.

Is there a counter protest? I grew up in Strongsville. I now live on the east side but would be willing to drive there to stand with the parents and students being affected by this grand scale temper tantrum.

Sad Citizen - god help them when and if they do! As a parent my kids teacher has a lot to answer for! She was screaming at their bus as it drove past them outside of Surrarrer.

They might get a no reprisal clause in their contract with the BOE but that doesn't bind any of the parents to not making their job just a wee bit tougher!

I LEARNED EVERTHING I NEEDED IN FIRST GRADE NO MEANS NO WHAT PART OF NO MORE TAX PAYORS MONEY TO STRIKERS ,DONT YOU UNDERSTAND ,WERE.LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW FOOTBALL COACHES ITL BE GREAT TO GET RIDE OF THE GUYS WHO THINK THEY KNOW PROPER COACHING SKILLS ,OUR HEAD FOOTBALL COACHES ARE NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE CLOCK CALL PROPER PLAYS ,NEW REPLACEMENT FOOTBALL COACHES ARE COMMING ,AND MUSTANG VICTORY WITH IT THE STRIKING COACHES CAN STAND ON THE SIDE WALK AND LOOK AT THE LIGHTS THEY USED TO COACH UNDER ,WE NOT ONLY LOOK UP TO OUR BRAVE TEACHERS BUT THEIR NEW COACHING STAFF SOON TO COME

As a parent you can file a formal complaint with the state (regardless of the BOE contract as a parent you have the right to complain about their actions) Here is the site http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1394&ContentID=5428&Content=116161 click on Citzen reporting form.

STUDENTS MAKE THE SCHOOL NOT THE TEACHERS ,THE CONSTANT IS THE STUDENTS ,AND THERE COOL WITH THE NEW TEACHERS ,MY SON SAID HIS NEW TEACHERS ARE GREATFULL TO HAVE THIS CHANCE ,THEY SAY STGVL SCHOOLS ARE GREAT ,THEY CAME FROM ,OTHER SCHOOLS THATHAD NO HEAT IN SOME CLASS ROOM AND MOST OF THEIR SCHOOLS HAD NO AIRCONDITIONING THEY BROUGHT ELEC HTRS TO TRY AND HEAT THERE CLASS ROOMS ,THERE AMASED AT HOW CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE THIS SCHOOL IS .

DID YOU KNOW THAT RANDOM DRUG TESTING IS NOT PART OF THERE CONTRACT ,IF THEY SETTLE,A CLAUS MUST BE RANDON DRU TESTING AS MY SON KNOW OF AT LEAST 3TEACHER WHO ARE DRUG ADDICTS WEED IS A DRUG ,YOU ALSO CANT HIDE DIALIATED PUPLES DEMAND RANDOM DRUG TESTING AS A MANTITORY PART OF THE NEW CONTRACT ,IF THEY HAVE ADDICTION PROBLEMS OFFER THEM HELP PREHAPS A RANDOM WIZ QUIZZ WIHT SOMONE WATCHING SO THE DONT CHEAT WILL GUARNTEE WE PARENTS ARE GETTING ARE MONEYS WORTH FROM THESE OVER PAID PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ,OPPS THATS RIT THEIR NOT EMPLOYEED ANY MORE

YES I NEED HELP SPELLING IM A STRONGSVILLE GRADUATE 1982 ILL TAKE THE EVELALEN WOOD HEAD SPED READIN KOURSE MY COMPREANSION HAS IMPROVED AS MY TEACHER USED TO BE A STRIKER NO SHE TACHES HERE

Why are the strongsville patch regulars here on the boards? You were having your big rally planned for today, what happened? Afraid to go outside, away from you powerful keyboards?

By being in front of the computer, and writing on the boards of Strongsville Patch?
But seriously, what happened to the rally, these regulars were going to hold?

What is truly sad is that some pathetic parents in Strongsville would rather send their children to schools where absolutely no education is going on just so they have free daycare, instead of demanding that the schools are closed until the adults work this out. The time could always be made up on weekends with licensed teachers instead of lazy uncertified substitutes. Hows that "Excellent with Distinction" rating going to look now? You should be more focused on fighting for your children by addressing"how much your child learns" instead of "how much the teachers make".

My biggest problem with all of this is very simple: "WHY AREN'T THEY TALKING?".
The BOE and the Union should be sitting in a room and talk until they resolve this, there is no reasonable excuse not to.

Amazed, Well at least two of us get it. The schools should be closed until a deal is reached. Lets face it no learning is going on. That is the simple reality. The days could be made up on weekends or summer. Not ideal, but definitely allowed by state law. Then the students would get real/competent instruction instead if movies and arts and crafts. BOTH sides need to agree to bargain in good faith. The only group with any real power are the parents. They need to demand that this happens. If either side says "no" then we know who is at fault.

The only reason I would close the schools is because they are wasting taxpayer dollars and NO education is occuring. Both sides need to get back together and throw the attorneys out of the room and settle this thing.

There is no learning going on in these schools

SHS parent, Cleveland closed schools in 1978 for 11 weeks. The time was made up on Saturdays, Easter break, and summer. Not ideal, but at least the kids had their licensed teachers. They need to get back to the table.

Middle Scholers at Albion were coloring and asked to take naps in the afternoon.. Great way to spend money BOE!!

I am so surprised how quickly Strongsville residents turn on their teachers who tirelessly work to educate their most important asset, their children, everyday. You should be supporting those people who have worked so hard to educate your children all of these years and instead what thanks do they get from you? That they are greedy, horrible people. Well, if I were a teacher, I sure would not want to work in a community that does not support them when they are in need of your help. First sign of trouble or inconvenience to Strongsville parents and they turn on you. Good luck getting good teachers in Strongsville -- I'm sure any good teacher would stay away and the good ones will leave for communities that actually value education, value teachers, and value keeping the best and the brightest teachers. Oh you say you support and love your teachers until they need help from you and then you expect them to be selfless saints that sacrifice everything to teach your children. God forbid that the teachers actually ever have needs -- you Coach purse carrying, stay at home, expensive SUV driving moms all want the teachers to not be greedy -- that sounds about right for Strongsville mentality.

lyn
49 minutes ago
They said last night on the news that the mediator hasn't planned a meeting for the 2 sides. My thinking is that she wants to let cooler heads prevail and hopefully things will settle down - but they won't if outside union people stir things up more.

Lyn - this is incorrect.... the mediator calls both the union and the boe every mornign to ask if they are ready to negotiate. Every morning the SEA says YES.... the BOE says NO... the mediator can not force them to negotiate.

The board keeps listening to their lawyer telling them what to do instead of thinking for themselves.

I am sad for everyone and I do not work or live in the district HOWEVER, I do know the teachers were NOT asked they were TOLD by your board to NOT leave anything behind that was theirs INCLUDING lesson plans. They were told to STRIP the rooms of their contents. It is a shame when they want a life time pay freeze. Why don't all you parents that oppose this take a life time pay freeze. I am sure it wont hurt you. MAJORITY of these teachers are doing this to insure their survival and they LOVE their kids. It isn't an instance of abandoning, it is an instance of taking care of what they have to for their families as well.

I know my teachers love their students and we love and respect them. They were told to take all of their personal belongings home from the classroom and that does include lesson plans. If they didn't take home personal belongings they were told those things would get thrown out. It just shows how much stuff the teachers actually provide for us and how little the school actually has. All the school gives us is a room, desks, and maybe a class set of books. And these teachers have children and families to take care of as well and they have to pay taxes too.

Correct.... teachers were TOLD by the district to remove EVERYTHING that is their own personal belongings, because effective on Friday March 1st at 4pm, they would be locked out of their buildings and not allowed back in.

It's not an ideal situation, especially earlier in the week; but is not like it is a national emergency or natural disaster. The schools should remain open. If a parent thinks their child's education is being shortchanged, there are many alternatives and resources. We cannot let any individual or group hold a city hostage.

To all of those who have turned so quickly on the teachers please take a minute to think over the real problem. Who do we keep asking to make the sacrifices? The wealthy in paying more taxes? Or, teachers who earn modest incomes?

We have had over 30 years of tax cuts for millionaires, Wall Street, and big business. In the 1950's, the highest marginal tax rate was 90%. If you made over $2 million in today's dollars (@$350k in 1950's dollars), you were taxed at 90% on every dollar over the $2 million (@$350k in 1950's dollars). In the 1970's the highest marginal tax rate was dropped to 70%, in the 1980's to 49%, in the 1990's to 39%, and in the 2000's to 36%.

The tax on Wall Street earning used to be the same as the income tax, but in the 2000's it was dropped to a meager 15%. So, all of those Wall Street billionaires pay a meager 15% in taxes on the billions.

We have had over 30 years of tax cuts on the wealthy and business tax loopholes that have decimated our taxes. Facebook paid ZERO in taxes last year. GE, Mattel, Verizon, Boeing have paid ZERO in taxes for the last 4 years and corporations have had years of record profits. But, to Strongsville residents, it is the teachers that are greedy? You are going after the wrong people! We could afford our teachers if we rolled back the more than 30 years of tax cuts for the wealthy and if our big businesses actually paid their fair share in taxes.

Support your teachers - don't turn on them.

Survival, Really? They is factual not true. The teachers I spoke with said they were taking their personal belongings because they were worried about the SUBs. The interesting thing I found out is they also took the supplies that were brought in by the parents at the beginning of the school year. That is theft. Those were items brought in for the classroom not the teachers. If they were only worried about their survivial, why would they remove everything from their bulletin boards and walls. They were not told to strip their walls by the BOE maybe by the union. Keep trying.

Ok, I have a question that requires no discussion, simply an answer. The answer would be a number. If you don't know the answer, please don't respond.
Question: How many Strongsville teachers have crossed the picket line?

Around 3 have. And one did it because she declared bankruptcy and didn't have a choice and the teachers won't hold that against her

I cannot believe the lip service that Strongsville parents have for their teachers. They say that they appreciate their work and then when it actually comes down to supporting them when they need help to keep our schools great, they call them lazy and greedy. How can you really think that about your teachers? Really?

Because the teachers I know in Strongsville are hard, working dedicated people that deserve better treatment than the immature rantings of wealthy, selfish Coach purse carrying, expensive SUV driving stay at home moms -- of which I know first hand their are several on this site. Sorry if your stay at home schedule is being disrupted, but I know if the teachers, who we all well know are good hard-working people are striking, it must be for a very good cause.

Yes, it is too bad that kid's education is being disrupted, but I know if the teachers believe it is necessary, then it is true. I also know for a fact that several school board members are openly anti-public school homeschooler association members. I find it incredible that Strongsville would elect such individuals to their school board and then not expect problems between the school board and public school teachers. And then turn on the teachers when the school board fails to give them a fair contract.

You want good schools and good teachers? Then, show your support for the teachers! You will end up with happy teachers teaching your kids and feeling supported by you.

I too am disappointed with the actions of the teachers. I have children in the High School whose current grades will determine college acceptances along with scholarships and grants. I am a concerned parent who wants the best futures for my children. I have high expectations for my children, and for their teachers. Most of the teachers have proven to be awesome. But their conduct shown on the picket lines and toward the substitutes and even parents is appalling. Not all of the teachers have portrayed bad behavior, but when they picket “solidarity,” it tells me that all the teachers condone this behavior.
I would like to see the teachers go back to teaching and negotiate in good faith but I am worried that they would take their attitudes into the classrooms. What have they done to convince me otherwise? They took their lesson plans with them, ripped ID stickers off of cupboards/drawers, and told kids to misbehave. And that was before the strike began. But now the substitute teachers are figuring things out. The kids are helping. Kids are learning to be leaders, helpers and optimists (if their parents encourage it). It takes time, but teachers can be replaced. But we had awesome teachers, and they are welcome to come back. We have a fiscally responsible school board and they are not going to back down.The teachers union, who says it’s about more than just money, won’t back down either. Stalemates can make for bad attitudes only if you want it that way!

If you didn't realize Mrs. Potter these teachers have kids too that they have to take care of. They care about their students a lot but they also have to think about their own families.

Mike Hunt:

You are the ignorant one now. Why is it only the wealthy who "earn" their money and everyone else is somehow greedy? The truth of the matter is that we have had the lowest taxes in over 70 years. Yes, in the 1950's if you made over $350k which is like $2 million in today's dollars you were taxed at 90% on every dollar over the $350k. So, then we could invest in our schools, roads, infrastructure, middle class etc. Now the wealthy are taxed at a meager top tax rate of 35% and Wall Street is taxed at the lowest amount in 70 years at a mere 15%.

But, it is the teachers who are greedy and the wealthy who worked so hard to earn their money they should keep it all so that we can cut the teachers' salaries and benefits -- that is the broken America that you want. Facebook, GE, Verizon, Mattel pay ZERO in taxes and teachers have to strike to not get their pay and benefits cut. Wall Street has had years of record profits and pays less than their secretaries in taxes, but the teachers are the greedy ones. Is is not liberal or conservative -- this just happens to be the truth.

Student, you're not a student. You're just one of teachers hiding behind a "student" Abe, you're a joke. Why are you on this forum, go and hold a sign. I protesting teachers need to be replaced. Your lisence means nothing with these actions. There are lots of other teachers who would love to take the job with all the school closings around Cleveland area. Good luck passing another school levy in Strongsville...maybe in 30 years. Stop crying about making 65k in 9 months. That = $45.14 an hour. Don't push it. You're not being treated unfairly, so don't take an advantage of a Union. Everyone has gotten their insurance increase. Suck it up.

jw93:

You obviously know nothing about treating people well. You will get the teachers you deserve here in Strongsville. Where I come from you stand behind people when they need your help. You don't turn on people who do give for your kids everyday because it is difficult or inconvenient.

Do you really think that all of those teachers are horrible, greedy people? Or, maybe...just maybe do you think that they might have a good reason and would only do this if they had a good reason? How would you feel if the parents --who you have worked so hard teaching and caring for their kids -- could so quickly turn on you and imagine the worst about you and your reasons? This says a lot about your character. Support your teachers -- that will help bring an end to this.

Student - I have taught my children that there is never a reason for bad, disrespectful behavior, as I am sure your parents have taught you. It is not the slow moving picketers or name calling that makes students and parents want to end the strike, it is the teacher-less classrooms. Teachers would be far more respected if they would picket next to the driveways, without namecalling.

Wow you people are just as conspiratorial as the people on the other pages. Try to get this through your head in one go okay? I AM A STUDENT. just because I side with the teachers doesn't make me one. Or did you not see the candlelight vigil held and planned by other STUDENTS?

Thanks to Claire, I just found out about Richard Smith from Buckeye State Politics at BuckeyeStatePolitics.com.

I read the article that Claire recommended and found and read another two more interesting ones. The title: "Two Generations of Teachers: What A Big Difference!". It explains very well why most of the great teachers are the older ones, and why most of the bad ones are the younger ones.

The two Strongsville teachers arrested this week were, not coincidentally, both 37 years old.

Just like Richard Smith explains why these teachers in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s, are so bad nowadays, unlike the teachers of the past and those who are older.

Here's the URL: http://buckeyestatepolitics.com/?cat=5&paged=4

Richard Smith on why most great teachers are the older ones, and why most bad ones are the younger ones.

The interesting thing is, Richard wrote his column at Buckeye State Politics a few months ago, before this union thunderstorm had even set its eyes on our city.

"The best and the brightest" it was so often argued by Strongsville teachers.

Are you kidding me?

You can fool an Appalachian white trash (like Ted Strickland has fooled his part of the state for so long), an inner city ghetto dweller, or any similar-minded high-school dropout Strongsville residents, but you can't easily fool a person who has gone to college -- any college at all -- in their life.

I know how most people stumbled -- or were "forced" -- into "education" while in college.

You drink too much. You party too hard. You skip classes too often. You were too lazy to turn in your papers. Your "study drugs" couldn't help bring up your test scores because you waited until just hours before your exams. You do drugs one time too many.

So your GPA drops. You get kicked out of your college. Because your college has a minimum standard. What to do when your College of Business, College of Engineering, or even the College of Arts and Sciences, deny you a spot to continue in their college?

Then you hear of a kind, liberal, generous College on campus, which will take any and all comers, where the profs and the Dean are so desperate for state and other funding that they need the number (students) and that they will pass any student as long as he or she just turns in the minimum, average work.

(to be continued...)

(to be continued)

The most common advice given by the profs in your college are: "Just give me anything, anything at all, so tha I can give you a grade!" and "If you don't turn in anything, legally I can't give you a grade even if I want to!"

Fortunately for you (and unfortunately for your students, their parents, city and state taxpayers who fund the schools, businesses that hire those students later, and society at large), said college is the College of Education.

So you turn in mediocre work. The profs don't even so much as look at what you have written. They just flip through your papers quickly, the way you "grade" your students' work now (it definitely helps if there are many pages, because then the profs can be more justified by giving you an A or a B).

You graduate from college after your share of booze, drugs and sex.

You start teaching at a school. The same kind of "average" mentality toward life and the same kind of mediocre attitude toward and treatment of "education" stays with you (habits die hard!).

So you treat your students the same, expecting only mediocre work from your students. If a student turns in something brilliant, you become jealous because he or she reminds you of the briliant students who made you look bad when you were still a freshman or sophomore in another (non-Education) college.

(to be continued...)

Our Strongsville students who are great students are great because of these two and only two factors: (1) they have well-educated, loving, and caring parent or parents who take an active interest and pride in teaching their kids well at home; and (2) our great students are self-motivated.

If a student lacks any of the above two factors, likely he or she will be average or mediocre. If he or she lacks both of the factors, he or she will be very bad.

Either a student is great, average, mediocre, or bad in our school has almost nothing to do with what you do at school. Except for physically or mentally harming our kids (I hope you don't stoop so low!), there is not much help or harm you can do to our students in the classroom, except babysitting the bad and mediocre ones while wasting the valuable and precious time of our great kids.

Therefore it can be argued that the only differences between you (teachers) and the janitors and bus drivers at your school are (1) you did turn in your mediocre work while in college, earning you a college degree, and (2) you consequently are paid much higher than your two other types of "professional" colleagues.

For the kind of mediocre academic work you turned in while in college and for the kind of mediocre work you are doing now at our school, if we (taxpayers) decide to give you the average or median Ohio per capita income, that is us being nice to you (you should know and appreciate that).

(to be cont'd...)

Love the posts! First, keep on following Tad's words of wisdom. He loves this community so much he lives in CA for 7 months out of the year. You teachers haters had tremendous support today at that rally today. What were there ....like 15 of you. Please people dont bother to try and talk rationale to these few (and yes they proved FEW at the rally today). The ignorant will remain ignorant. I am going to laugh in the next couple of years as your property values plummet because this community wouldnt support the schools. I have already heard from the young teachers; they want out of this district. You remember those young ones you claimed would bring life back to the schools. You are driving them out and new GOOD ones wont come. Not after they know how this community will treat them. Fools.....all of you fools!

If one has gone to college -- any college at all (as long as one wasn't blind, deaf, or stoned beyond recognition during one's college years) -- one would easily and totally understand that the only three groups in our city who are supporting the teachers are: (1) high-school dropouts and those who didn't go to college; (2) residents who have relocated from the Appalachian Mountains; and (3) those Asian-American parents and their kids who are only kissing the asses of their kids' teachers in hope of or in exchange for a better letter of recommendation for their kids' college application coming up sometime later.

Some Strongsville students are great. But we must admit that some are bad, average, and mediocre kids (just like their teachers). I notice these mediocre kids all the time at the mall (which makes me wonder if they have just recently relocated from the Appalachia).

The thing is, we have always told our kids to avoid those bad and mediocre students, both in school and outside of school (the force of socialization affects every human being, but especially powerfully on the younger ones).

But the mediocre teachers? How can you avoid them? They are like the pan-handlers in certain parts of certain cities in America: They are everwhere, they are failures in life, they are mediocre, they rely on you for their economic survival, they have either their cans or their palms stretched out towards you begging you for money, and most of all, they are quite demanding--if you don't give them the money they demand from you, they're going to retaliate in one way or another!

While we are talking about the future of Strongsville education here, the mediocre and bad students in our school system are quietly watching their teachers, learning their tactics and ways of doing things.

it is just a common observation in life and completely expected that when one doesn’t have the level of intelligence required for challenging college work or meaningful and productive employment, when one isn’t willing to work hard, doesn’t have the discipline in life to get anything productive done, one will tend to resort to other tactics for their economic survival, such as intimidation, bully, physical threats, disturbing the peace and normal operations of things, disruptions, sit-ins, work stoppages, work slowdowns, blocking traffic, strikes, scare tactics, etc., exactly the kind of bully-kids who aren’t very bright in their head that I have told my kids and any other kids whom I care about to avoid.

Four to eight years from now, while their more intelligent, brighter, and better peers have gone on to become doctors, dentists, scientists, vets, lawyers, engineers, accountants, business executives, entrepreneurs, nurses, and countless many other reputable and challenging professions, these bad and mediocre Strongsville students (who by the way form only a small minority in our school, thanks to the other, majority of parents who are better educated and who know better of how to raise their kids) will once again (just like their mediocre teachers before them) be "forced" to walk into the College of Education on campus, thus continuing the vicious circle of mediocre-students-becoming-mediocre-teachers, embarking on the easy and lazy journey to become an average, even mediocre teacher.

And some (if not most) of them will come back and apply for a teaching job here (after being turned down by private academies), and they will tout their "Strongsville" legacy -- born here, lived here, studied here, still here.

If these young teachers (like Richard Smith says here http://buckeyestatepolitics.com/?cat=5&paged=4 who are in their 20s and 30s) aren't coming to Strongsville anymore, I say all the better.

Becase, Strongsville parents who really care about their kids' education either have done so, or have wanted to send their kids to private academies, but after paying state and property taxes, they don't feel like paying more for private school, even if they can afford to.

You people are all nuts. Did you know that? And you probably spend all day stomping on your children's and other's ideas. Some of you are truly awful people and should be ashamed

This may sound like a shock to Strongsville's teachers (who think their teaching is so great!):

Most parents, if they can afford to, would prefer to move their kids from Strongsville's schools to any nearby private schools!

Most of the parents I have talked to (I have to admist my sample is not totally representative of the entire Strongsville population -- for example, I only know of three white-trash families here in town, but I am sure the count will significantly increase if I attend any rallies supporting teachers and start talking to the more thuggish-looking male participants or the more overweight female demonstrators there, avoiding of course, the well-educated but ass-kissing Asian American parents who usually are completely ignorant of local politics -- but most of my friends say it is quite representative of the top 60% or even the top 70% of the parents in the city) have in their mind which is the best private school they would love to send their kids to if they can afford it either with their own extra money or if the government somehow allows our kids to cary the entire funding per student to their new school of choice.

I know it's hard to work around the religious legality issue. But non-religious private schools can be a perfect goal here.

It may be tough to fight the legality issues on public funding for religious schools (most politicians think it is a non-starter). Okay.

But it is a perfect goal for parents who care about their great children's education to fight for public funding for private but non-religious education.

Governor Kasich and the State of Ohio is allowing $5,000 per student to be caried by each student who goes to a charter school. Parents who want their kids to go to private academies for a much better education should fight to get that same $5,000 apply to non-charter, private (but non-religious) academy as well.

Not only that, we should fight to get the local property taxes portion (and other smaller funding portions) to be carried with the student as well. That total funding per student in Strongsville (state and local fundings all combined) should be allowed to be carried by the student who lives in the district (whose parents or other adults are therefore most likely paying property taxes, sales taxes and state income taxes) but chooses to attend a private academy.

This total tax dollars' funding per student, which was $10,173 per student in Ohio according to a 2010 Plain Dealer report, can then be used by parents who want to send their children to any private academy of their own choosing. This amount (which come from the taxes the parents have paid anyway!) will go to lessen their financial burden on sending their kids to private schools.

Nightmares for teachers.

I'm a certified teacher who tried to find a job teaching for five years. I finally just took a job I could find. I'd be more than happy to replace one of them! Where I come from teachers don't walk out on students! We became educators because we care about the students. Please support the subs most of them are certified but just couldn't find jobs teaching. I know because I've been there. Bless the students and the substitutes!

This proposal and scenario of allowing the entire funding of $10,000+ to move with the student -- any student -- to any non-religious school of their and their parents' own choosing is of course a nightmare scenario for public school teachers.

Because with this, they no longer have a Communistic, captive-market scenario. I have travelled to China before, and I still have friends from Ohio who are currently working there. But you don't have to listen to me or my friends' experience, just read or learn for yourself. It is horrible to be a consumer in a communist system with captive market and consumers having no choice at all.

Which is basically what we have here with our public school. We pay property taxes. We pay state income taxes. We pay sales taxes. A lot of these taxes go into our Strongsville school district to fund its operations, including to pay the teachers and the administrators and the psychiatrists. And we HAVE to use their service.

Oh, no, you have a choice of walking out, you can go attend private school if you want to. And so they say.

But how about my money?

Can you imagine a lawyer, at the first meeting, before saying a word, receives a $10,000 check from you, and then says, you can freely choose to walk out to use the service of another lawyer if you choose to, but he will keep the $10,000 whether you use his service or not.

That's called a retainer, and for retainers I freely choose to engage him. Not so for the school district.

I did not (and I still do not) think our city's teachers are that great.

From my experience, a small number (about 5-10%) are great teachers, about half are average, and the rest (about 40-45%) are just mediocre.

I need to emphasize here that I am not comparing our teachers to other teachers, because to do so is plain stupid (now why would you want to compare your employees -- the teachers are our employees, if you are not already aware of that -- to a reference group who ranked among the worst in terms of GPA, work ethic, and drunkenness while in college?!).

I am comparing them to the average college-educated worker in Strongsville, which by the way is higher than Ohio's and national averages.

Being average or mediocre and knowing that fact and quietly sitting at your desk waiting it out to collect your fat pension checks is one thing.

Being average or mediocre but screaming and yelling pretending to be and fooling yourself and attempting to fool others that you are not average and mediocre and demanding way-higher-than-average pay is another animal altogether.

If the average and mediocre teachers in our city think they can mislead us and fool us into believing they are not average or mediocre and that we will give them the way-higher-than-average pay they are thuggishly demanding, they are underestimating our intelligence and our knowledge of what is going on in the larger world.

For years now the teachers' union and their fellow administrators have succeeded in screwing us deeper and deeper into our pockets and checkbooks.

That is because the high-school dropouts and those who didn't go to college were misled into thinking the teachers' bachelor's degrees, their Master's degrees, and their continuing education hours are something worthy to have, but anyone who has gone to college know better: almost everything taught in the College of Education is a big joke!

If you want real challenging and good education, try a private academy!

If you want babysitting, try a public school (but they cost more than $10,000 a year).

This concludes my two-hour write-up that can -- with large fonts and wide margins and double-spacing -- be turned into twenty pages to turn in to an Education Prof who never spend any time seriously looking into anything except to flip through the pages making sure what's printed on the pages look professional, and proceed to give me an A or a B.

Do you want a public school education or a private one?

White trash do not have a choice but to revere public-school teachers. Well-educated Strongsville parents, however, DO have a choice. We can rise up and do something about it and forever do away with this insanity called mediocrity-pretending-to-be-"the best and the brightest". Everytime a teacher says that phrase, I am amused because he or she is acting like a clown joking and horsing around, fooling himself and us.

Elsie - would you like to know how that meeting went? Well, first... the Mediator DEMANDED that the BOE meet... they did not come willingly. The reason she demanded was because the BOE, under the advisement of their lawyer, would deny wanting to have a meeting to her when she would ask in the morning, but then later on in the day, tell the public how they are ready to meet and negotiate... knowing FULL WELL that the Federal Mediator, by law, can not come out and deny what the board was saying publicly...

SLEAZY LAYWER TACTIC

As for the "meeting"... the SEA asked the BOE if they were ready to negotiate.... they sat silent and did not answer. The Federal Mediator then asked the same question.... they still sat silent and did not answer. FInally the lawyer and super left the room for about 40 minutes... came back, and said they were done. THEN had the audacity to ask the SEA to release a joint statement telling the public they had met and tried to negotiate...

THAT is how the "meeting" went

Under the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) some responsible media people or organizations should ask for, get, and publish all the public school teachers' grades, from their first grade, through high school, through college, and through graduate school.

But of course, only their SAT scores is of any use here, because in the College of Education, like it is commonly said in college, you can put a brick on a chair in the College of Education, four years later, the brick will receive a Bachelor's degree in Education. So, any grades received while in the College of Education is not telling anything much.

But SAT scores will.

And their ranking among the graduates of the high schools they went to will help too. Not because it can show how "intelligent" they were in high school, but it will show us which quartiles of the high school graduates in their particular high school tend to choose Education as their field of study.

WARNING!
Earlier I said-
"Its the union and outside union people that have come in (which I will write more on later when I have time) that are keeping this going."

WELL,
Strongsville is being made GROUND ZERO by the OEA.
And union president Tracy is helping to sacrifice the Strongsville teachers as bigger powers try to further their cause.
And the community will suffer.
And the students, the children, will be collateral damage.

Doesn't anyone see this?

I am a strongsville student. I love my teachers, yet hate some of their actions. The one claim that the public uses against the teachers is that they are all lazy and greedy, and I could not disagree more. When going into education, the teachers knew they would not get rich. However, they are people who need to make a living and support their families. They have to put their own families before their students. The teachers invest more to our collective education than simply 8 hours a day. They spend their nights and weekends grading papers, giving us comments on our work to help us become better. Over the summer, they may not be in the classroom, but their work continues in taking classes to renew their licenses and creating lesson plans for the upcoming year. To say teachers are lazy is wrong. To say they are greedy is wrong. Many teachers have to work more than one job to support their families. To stereotype all teachers by saying they are "lazy and greedy" is false, because I can assure you that my teachers are not either. There are teachers who help students in ways that even go beyond school. They love us, regardless of what their actions have shown.

I have certainly lost my respect for the teachers in our city.

Respect has to be earned.

You can't simply say "I'm a teacher! I care about your kids!" and expect us to satisfy your every whims and desires!

True, I may not understand local politics too well. But I am just surprised at how average people doing average work all these years could manage to screw the community (esp. property owners) in my city for so many years!

My kids are doing very well in school and in their personal lives. When I meet their teachers I try to say only nice things both for better treatment from them toward my kids and hopefully get good reference from them in future for my kids. But the fact of the matter is, my kids will do very well with ANY teachers out there.

I'm willing to pay more for REAL quality education and REAL good teaching, like that offered by the many fine academies in Northeast Ohio. If only my kids can bring the $11,000 or so of the tax allocation per student to the school of our choice! (Before today I didn't realize we can fight for this to happen one day!)

Please do not take our tax money and tie us down with a school that is not even our 13th chioce (I have more than 13 NEO private schools in my mind which I've checked out over the past two years that my kids should go where they can get a much better education than in the run-of-the-mill Strongsville public schools!)

I say "Stop Average Work!" and let us bring our tax dollars to a better school!

I am a strong believer in karma.

I live and die by karma. I hold dear to the saying that you don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you.

Looking at the behaviors of the teachers over the past month or so, looking at how they try to physically and verbally intimidate others into giving them what they want, playing and wasting and fooling around with other people's money (our tax dollars), you don't have to be a devout Hindu to know, even if the BOE gives in and future levies are approved by intimidated and misled voters, KARMA will come back and haunt the teachers, especially their leader and those who are the most outspoken who yelled and screamed at the subs -- someone told me that a sub said she got some "stinking spit" on her face as a result, which she said she quickly rushed inside to wash off with anti-bacteria cleansers.

I am a nurse who works very hard. I put myself at risk of contracting diseases such as hepatitis and aids. I have not gotten a raise in 5 years. I don't have the ability to strike because it would be abandonment of my patients. Yet Strongsville teachers who get TWO MONTHS OFF VACATION, A WEEK FOR CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAYS feel the need to strike. FIRE THEM ALL. FIRE THEM NOW. hire new college students who want a job. HEY TEACHERS....YOU HAVNT LOST YOUR HOME LIKE OTHERS...MAYBE THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED. THEN YOU WILL APPRECIATE YOUR JOB. I WILL NEVER EVER VOTE FOR ANOTHER LEVY TO SUPPORT YOU.....

leslie i love u and support u we all work hard to deal with this shit quit thinking about yourself these r the times when we the community need to fight for each other ! i cant handle all the negative crap ! i saw a story the other day on pbs cause i dont buy cable about a women who is fighting for a pay raise after 20 yrs not for her for a type of profession called waiters and waitress of the country !!! 2.20 some damn cents counting on us to tip !!! when Obama got his first term he said its all about community its all we hv! thxs leslie for all u do for all those who love u for what u do. its one world got to start some where

Jennifer Masterson,

Please contact me at buckeyestatepolitics@yahoo.com.

Thank you!

The Editor
Buckeye State Politics

Many states do NOT allow teachers to strike. It is law that children must attend school, paid for by our taxes, thus teachers strikes should also NOT be allowed in OHIO!

We decided years ago that the people who knew our kids the best and would work the hardest to meet their needs were already available and heavily invested in their lives. So we happily homeschool. It is certainly something to consider at this pivotal point in the school year and your children's lives.

Chris Ward,

I can't agree more with you!

Taxpayers and voters should campaign and push for the state of Ohio and the school districts to allow parents who homeschool their children to use and get paid with the $12,000 per student tax money for the quality time and quality instruction they give to their children at home!

To make it easier to win at the polls, we shd at first fight for only $1K or $2K /student/year, w/ the amount going up yearly by another $1K or $2K to reach the maximum per-student funding one day.

Also to make is easier to win at the polls, we shd first only allow the tax credits for homeschooling parents who either already have or are concurrently (as they're homeschooling their kids at home) taking at least one 3-credit College of Education classes (working towards their own Bachelor's degree in Education), with the tax credits in future yrs applying for every homeschooling parents.

The Colleges of Education need students to justify their state (and students' own tuition) funding. With this "homeschooling parents taking one class per semester" (2 classes per year: Fall and Spring), they would welcom the number of incoming part-time parents-students in their college.

And, w/ $12K or so per student you teach at home ($36K if you teach 3 kids at home -- many homeschooling parents I know actually teach 4 or more kids at home!), surely one class is not much to pay for (a few hundred $ at a C.C., about $1,000 at a Public U like CSU/UA/KSU).

Chris Ward,

Homeschooling parents are some of the best parents in the world.

At least half of the homeschooling parents I have met are more qualified to talk about Education than even parents who can afford to send their kids to private academies: They are well-educated and quite well-to-do just like private-school parents, but they -- about half of the homeschooling parents I have met -- are not only financially well-to-do, they either have the professional/work/business scheduling flexibility or can afford to have one of the two well-educated spouses stay home, forgoing the high pay that spouse would have been able to command or had been commanding in the private sector (or even teaching at a private school themselves).

The reason I didn't mention this point these past days is that if you think public-school teachers are jealous about their private school peers, they look at homeschooling parents like they are from Mars (because at last private-school students are still using the service of their -- albeit better-quality -- peers from their College of Educaion program; Homeschooling parents completely shun the teachers' service altogether!).

Homeschooling parents and voters should fight for tax credits per student to be brought to wherever they see fit for their children!

And thank you, Chris Ward, for spending your own valuable, quality time posting here and joining in the noble fight against public waste of taxpayer dollars!

I am also sure you are not paid to do so! (Last time I checked, homeschoolers do not have a union!)

Unlike half of the posters here, who are paid (with our taxpayer dollars no less!) to counter taxpayers' points about public waste of tax dollars!

Hats off to you Chris!

What would Ronald Reagan do? That's what is needed here.