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State Rep Karen Yarbrough among the teacher bashers we met... A teacher's trip with parents and students to to Springfield

My name is Ken Budz, I’m an English teacher at Gage Park High School on the southwest side of Chicago. On Wednesday, March 16, 2011, I went down to Springfield with teachers and students to see how our “representatives” are doing. I also wanted to see why issues of parents, teachers and students don’t seem to be first and foremost on the minds of our “representatives.”

Illinois State Rep. Karen Yarbrough (D. Broadview) is also a member of the Illinois House "School Reform" committee, and has been supporting teacher bashing legislation sponsored by Stand for Children and Advance Illinois. Yarbrough rarely misses a chance to spout off the Stand for Children party line that public schools are being ruined solely because of "bad teachers" and the unions. Above, Yarbrough during the December 16, 2010 hearings in Aurora Illinois on the proposed "Performance Counts" legislation. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.I got quite an education: I saw a representative talking to the people from our group. Her name is Karen Yarbrough of the 7th district in Broadview, Illinois. She was putting people on the defensive by blaming teachers for problems with education. That is like blaming a rape victim for being assaulted. She didn’t see me standing behind her as I listened in, so she continued with her rant. According to her, principles say that teachers don’t show up to work, or when they do, they don’t do their jobs.

“Teachers are ruining education,” she said. This is when I jumped in and said, I am a teacher and I see the people I work with at my school coming to school every day and doing their job to the best of their ability. At first, she said teachers are ruining education; therefore some teachers need to go. I disagree and I reasoned with her. She went from teachers in general, to some, to a few teachers need to go in less than a minute. She continued by saying that some principals, security guards and janitors need to go, I countered by saying some representatives need to go. This is when she looked down at her watch and said she had to leave. She was really proud of herself and showed it. Pride comes before the fault.

Our group followed her, and I could see she was trying to come up with ways to appease us. She gave out her card to a couple of people. I didn’t get one, I wonder why? She left and went into a room where we couldn’t go into. She thought she was safe from us, but the parents in our group weren’t too happy with her blaming teachers. The parents voiced that some of these representatives don’t seem to be “representing” us. I jokingly said, all representatives, some, or a few? We all laughed.

Bill Burns, a representative from the 13th district, was in a hurry. He was trapped by a slow elevator. A nervous parent approached him and asked him to consider legislation that would really reform education, such as an elected school board with education background and a superintendent with teaching credentials. Burns said his mother-on-law is a teacher and he gets lobbied almost on a weekly basis. He indicates that he backs education issues and I thanked him for his support.

Although he represents a Chicago district (the 20th Illinois) that is home to hundred of union teachers (and other unionized public workers), State Rep. Michael McAuliffee (above) remains a Republican and proudly shows his hostility to teachers and teacher unions. I met another representative named Michael McAuliffe (Republican of the 20th district in Chicago) and told him that I was from Gage Park High School. He said he grew up near the school. I told him that I was there to talk with legislators about improving our school, he said “good luck” with an attitude that I didn’t care for. I replied, I am trying. He said again “good luck” with an even more attitude. Obviously, he is not representing us either.

People of other unions were there and I was glad to see them. They said, hey, teacher, I am glad to see you. I said I was glad to see them too. All labor seems to have an interest in what is going on in Springfield. Union means united, all unions should be united to fight against those legislators who don’t represent their constituents.

It was getting near time to leave and I got in an elevator with a reporter and a cameraman. I asked the reporter why he was there; he said that people are being asked to sacrifice some of their pensions, benefits, pay cuts and other give backs. “I came to ask what sacrifices the legislators are willing to make. They didn’t answer my question,” the reporter added. I noticed that they turned away from the reporter when he ask them that question. The reporter states that these people are crooks; they only care about money, not people. I agreed by saying they only seem to care about big business contributions and being reelected. I am glad he was there to ask them tough questions. Too many in the media are way too biased against the people. They seem to take bribes.

The lobbyist from the union was encouraging to us, as he gave us an orientation with good material. He said his experience in Springfield has had some peaks and valleys, he also stated that the representatives are not used to seeing us, teachers. This seemed very obvious from what I saw and heard, they don’t seem to really respect us much yet. Maybe they respect who contribute more to them, our votes don’t seem to be enough for most of them. The union lobbyist encouraged us to return to Springfield with others and share our experiences.

The union needs to make it clear who is on our side and who isn’t. What is the voting record of our legislators? When and where did they introduce or pass legislation for us? We have the right to know why they vote against us. We need to tell them how we feel and what we will do about them not representing us. Our eyes are on them, they are being watched. They need to know we are watching them.



Comments:

March 31, 2011 at 3:50 PM

By: Kathy Jacobs

Open Your Mouth And Remove All Doubt

I’d say that State Representative Karen Yarbrough’s comment, “Teachers are ruining education,” is the dumbest statement ever made, but there are so many from the ever-growing club of teacher bashers, I better not. So, she’s a legislator in Springfield there to do the people’s business and she’s made a pronouncement. Now, what is she going to do to correct the problem that she has so shrewdly discerned? Will she suggest that auto mechanics or butchers or dry cleaners be drafted into the classrooms? Why not? People who don’t teach figure there’s nothing to it. Oh wait, sensible humans, who probably make more than teachers, would never agree to enter the lions’ dens known as classrooms because all of a sudden they’ve become the sacrificial altars for those responsible for managing the people’s money. The only people looking to go into teaching today are the inexperienced non-education-majors who assume they’re bullet-proof because Karen Yarbrough says TEACHERS are ruining education. The appropriate come-back would have been, “And politicians are ruining government.”

April 6, 2011 at 6:15 AM

By: Cindy

Sorry! The kids appreciate you!

Sorry. I am a teacher in Ohio and I know how you feel. It is like we woke up one day on Wanted Posters!

My school is a rural Title I school with an increasing poverty rate. We work so hard to help the kids catch up, not to mention the shoes, coats or supplies we buy now and then just because we care about the kids. Our elementary has scored excellent for the past 6 years yet teacher bashing has become the latest sport in my area. Tea party folks are right there to stir up the hate and pass on misinformation.. It is so sad!

Today I came back from lunch duty to find a note from a former student on my wipe off board. It was so sweet and kind. Children do appreciate us and they are much more respectful! I think the adults could learn from them!

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