Just my opinion

So one of the things I have heard over the past few days is a bewilderment on the part of the teachers that the community/parents of school children are not supporting them despite the fact that we, as parents, are proud of all that they have accomplished with educating our kids for so many years. Up until the past two weeks I was fiercely proud of our teachers.  Unfortunately, I can no longer say that. Maybe I can explain one parents thoughts on the matter.  I can not profess to speak for all, so I will just speak to myself.
I don't begrudge any teacher for wanting to make more money, we all do.  We all want to make more money and get at least a decent raise every year. But in today's society I believe the SEA's anger is misplaced. The Strongsville school district, like many others, is the victim of a horribly funded system whose real enemy should be the state legislators.  Our Board has no choice but to work with the hand in which they are dealt and that means sticking to the line of spending only the money that they project they will have.  The SEA should work with all other unions around the state to alter the school funding system.  
I have yet to hear from any union proposal about how their position will be paid for.  In fact, I know very little about the unions proposal, I can only go by the observations of what I have seen in various media reports regarding various meetings in the past few weeks.  
However, I dare any teacher to compare their base salaries, plus benefits plus other one-off incentives with the average worker.  You don't do so bad.  I can guarantee you my employer does not offer me $1,200 if I elect to go on my spouses insurances instead of the school districts.  That's not a bad perk.  Outside of your base salary, I understand there are several other incentives that can add several thousand dollars a year to your salary.  
My employer does not pay my retirement benefit.  Do I think teachers deserve more, especially new hires? Yeah, probably.  But in today's economy, especially with the way schools are funded in Ohio, it simply does not make sense for our school district.
Second, many constituents over the past 10 years have been dealt the "short straw" in terms of shouldering more of medical and pension benefit, assuming they were lucky enough to have them in the first place.  The teachers refusal to accept any changes similar to what most other U.S. workers have been forced to accept is mystifying. We as a workforce, had no choice.  Are we happy about it, no way.  But did we have a choice?  No.  Its a reality of today's workforce.   
Third, outside of the union workforce, raises and promotions are generally merit based.  It is difficult for the average person to fathom that pay increases are simply a culmination of years worked.  No connection between a teachers ability to drive the best performance out of their kids and their pay is required.  Wouldn't every strong teacher want to be evaluated and rewarded for their performance?  Why would you want to hide beyond a review system which is essentially meaningless? Oh yeah, and what ever happened to constructive reviews which actually help you to improve your performance?  Wouldn't you want that constructive review to improve your impact on the lives of our kids?
Fourth, my observations of the teachers union behavior over the past two weeks is nothing short of disappointing.  If I were any teacher, I would be disappointed in the propaganda that has been disseminated.  I am embarrassed for you.  The most recent press release today (Saturday, March 2) where teachers will not honor grades issues by subs is just the latest example.  How dare you?  It is your choice to strike.  The kids education have to go on, it can not be held hostage because you are unhappy with your negotiations.  That is not putting the kids interest first, no matter how many times I hear a teacher say that.  Also, real classy move putting board members phone numbers on letters sent home with the kids.  If you want to play fair, why not put union representatives phone numbers on the same piece of paper?  Of course, because the union has no interest in hearing what the community has to hear.  You want our support, but you don't want to share the details of what you want so we as a community can make our own conclusions.  That does not make sense.
Also, it was great to see your union members protesting outside the board members houses.  Here's a hint, that does nothing to improve your appearance in the community's eyes.  Just like planting questions in the last school board meeting with Strongsville residents who happen to be fellow teachers.  Come on, how stupid do you think the community is?  Several of those people who the union recruited could not help but brag about what they were doing.   The list goes on, but the fact is the union has tried several tactics over the past few weeks to try and galvanize support for the teachers and each one has further cemented my disdain for the entire process, and especially the union leadership.
In the real world, any product produced by an employee while they are paid in their capacity as a employee is the product of the employer.  Thus, to withhold syllabus' from replacement teachers while you are set to go on strike is illegal in my eyes.  A syllabus created for the classroom setting has been created for the benefit of all of those involved. To withhold that, and even worse to tell students not to share it with subs, is a disgrace.  How is that looking out for the best interest of the kids?  Clearly its not, its spiteful!  It does nothing but seek to further disrupt the education process.  As parents, we are not kidding ourselves, we know the subs have an uphill battle and our kids will have very little learning going on, at least in the early days of the strike, but teachers are seeking to make it as difficult as possible.  This includes cleansing the classrooms of anything resembling an active school setting.  Teachers - please don't insult our intelligence and tell us that you are doing it because you are fearful that your possessions will be stolen.  How does removing artwork from the halls present a threat to you or your possessions? Feel free to take your rocking chairs and pictures and personal things of that sort, but to strip the halls of any bulletin boards or kids artwork is pitiful.  Or lets discuss my daughter who has prepared for the same three tests twice in the past two weeks only to have them not given while the teacher cleaned out his classroom all during the week.  Shame on you.  You should be teaching until the final bell. If you want to clean out your classroom, do that on your own time, not when you should be teaching my kids. 
How does telling our kids not to come to school while you are planning to strike protect our kids?  That is not your place, that is ours as parents to make that decision.  How dare you discuss your intentions about striking with the kids?  Our kids idolize you, or at least they used to.  Your attempts to scare them only serve to confuse them.  How dare you tell them not to share what they are working on with the subs?  That is not thinking of their best interests.  
This is just a tip of the iceberg of things that I have heard from my kids or observed myself.  So if you are wondering why parents are not supporting you when only a few weeks ago we were fully behind you, I encourage you to take a step back and look how some of your colleagues and the union representatives have acted over the past few weeks.  I understand that this blog will hit some raw nerves and most will object with what is written, I understand that.  It's tough to be objective when something is so personal, but this is one parents perspective that is just filled with entire disgust.