Michael Blaise, Your UIA is Dangerous

I read, with a heavy heart, a letter written by Michael Blaise to the Standard-Times (Your View: Teachers need flexibility in classrooms; S-T, 2/22/12). Mr. Blaise identifies himself as a graduate of Old Colony and holds degrees in History and Education from The University of Tulsa. He goes on to identify his wife as a NBHS graduate who holds a degree in Music Education from the same university. I personally applaud both individuals for having completed degrees in education and agree with his assertion that it is, indeed, a noble profession. Though a colleague by degree, I find I have less reason to be supportive of Mr. Blaise and the positions he espouses in his letter and I’ll attempt to tell you why…

Mr. Blaise asks the reader to accept a number of opinionated statements as authoritative and qualifying. He first pronounces that they returned to a ‘system in turmoil’. His successive statements don’t seem to serve as justification, however. Mr. Blaise cites, “Teachers and administrators were being held accountable for children's moral and ethical behavior.” and “Teachers and administrators were being fired due to lack of money in town budgets.” as evidence of the causes for his assertion. First, I take issue with any statement that suggests I teach in a system that is in turmoil due to my being accountable for a child’s moral behavior. I am happy to support a learning environment that insists upon healthy moral and ethical behavior as a medium for propagating desired outcomes. Why heck, I’m a veritable Mr. Rogers when it comes to morality and ethics… But as a cause of “turmoil”..? I’m sorry… I just don’t get it, Mike. We’re surrounded by tens of thousands of O.P.K.’s (other people’s kids), of course we have to insist on a set of ground rules for morals and ethics. Here’s a few examples you’ll find if you audit my day…. My kids set up music stands for those who are still putting their instruments together (that’s a positive, Mike…) and they’re not allowed to “sneak a peek” at their neighbor’s fingers when they don’t know how to play a given note (they’re told from the outset that they are responsible for their own success and shortcomings). In other words, we “own” our reputation and knowledge… On the subject of money, well… I mean, hey…. things are tight all over, Mike. New Bedford doesn’t have a monopoly on need. Frankly, you’d have a heck of a time in Warwick, Secaucus, Tallahassee, Uniontown (no pun here, Mike) and Ashwaubenon. In truth, in the latest FY, our outgoing Mayor fought tooth and nail, alongside a precious few School Committee members, to sustain our teacher to student ratio. No turmoil. No strike and days missed, Mike. I have to tell you.., I wasn’t even close to rending my garments…

Actually, these were the LEAST disturbing things you said, Mike. What really frosted my keister was the following quote: “We looked further into the control and creativity teachers were able to have in educating our children. We found out, to our horror, they had almost no control over their classrooms. Inclusion had brought every learning level into the same classroom and teachers were struggling to reach children on so many different levels.” Hey, buddy, that’s a pretty “exclusionist” statement for a UIA member. Sounds kinda intolerant to me… Maybe you’ve got a problem with a 504 kid, but I don’t. Teaching, at its core, is an exercise in juggling. Whether it’s baseballs, beanbags, kids or an apple, egg and chainsaw… Keep your eye on the situation and a steady hand on the chainsaw. Of course, it helps not to have you tickling my ear when the chainsaw is in the air…

Mr. Blais then goes “off-message” and reveals his hand… You see, neither Mr. Blais nor his wife secured teaching positions after their return from Tulsa. His “sour grapes” line of reasoning would have you believe he did this out of fear of being laid off (“We could not raise my family wondering if one of us would be laid off due to cutbacks. We are not politicians. We do not like to be the center of conversation. As teachers, we would be volunteering ourselves as fodder for public scrutiny.”) Let me say this for all of us… What the..? You chose not to become one of us out of concern for your own well-being? And yet…wait… wait for it…. here it comes…. You’re prepared to criticize us for the same reason.

Hey Mike… let me clue you in…I’m no politician, either. I’ve come pretty darn close to the chopping block in my 33 years. I weathered Prop 2 1/2. I survived CLT. I did the job I was assigned as opposed to the job I applied for. But fodder? I’m not fodder, Mike. I’m a teacher.

I notice you’re a lineman, and a member of the AFL-CIO. Thumbs up to both. Let me just have another moment, okay? Now, interestingly enough, I’ve got a bit of electrical in my background. I’m pretty handy with a set of lineman’s pliers and a roll of electrical tape. I actually understand the difference between NM-B, BX, UF and armored. More importantly, or just as importantly, I understand LOAD. Load is the anticipated draw that those appliances (lamps, radios, hair dryers, Flux Capacitors) could request from an electrical run. Problems occur in direct proportion to the overage you place on a run. For example, a 15 amp run should never be asked to provide the electricity required to operate a 20 amp appliance. Asking that circuit to operate “in tolerance” would be like, well… like asking a teacher in a classroom to educate 30 students with the resources available to educate, say, 20. You see, if you pull too much juice away from the load, it begins by overheating, then it begins to deteriorate. The real problem, and you know this, Mike, is that the problem can go unchecked behind that wall for some time. Why, it might even be a problem for someone “down the line” to solve, long after the problem-maker has left….

That’s why your UIA is dangerous, Mike. Because I fear you’d create a fire behind a wall that someone else would have to put out…

by Bill Lacey Click here to follow his facebook page.