there are still ways in which teachers’ pay can be performance related in government schools :-

1) where teachers can assess that a child is not learning or keeping up with the class, the teacher should identify that child at the earliest opportunity so that an intervention can be performed with a whole other set of protocols. in my world teachers not only get positively graded on passes but for identifying kids at risk – so that these kids are not passed along until the point of incompetence.
2. get back to streaming kids based on ability. this social experiment of not making kids feel bad because they learn differently hasn’t worked. kids are not stupid, they know they are under-performing when mixed in a class of achievers. this will help facilitate the teaching and review of children with similar abilities and consequently the teacher’s performance.
teachers trying to exempt themselves from performance review is unethical. if something can be done, it can be documented. if it is documented, it forms a part of a metrics. metrics form performance appraisals.

I wonder how you would feel at $8 an hour like the oba wants.

I wonder how you would feel with no benefits at all.

hmmmm I wonder.

and you either never knew or forgot how worker rights came about

I am one of those UNEMPLOYED BERMUDIANS

I wish we could swap places to let you see how it feels to be unemployed

fool

The unions are a disgrace, an embarrassment, but so are many of the “workers” they represent, who wouldn’t understand a days work if it came up and stole their lunch.

Saying that it is admirable that they at least gave a weekend’s worth of notice to the public to expect transport chaos on Monday rather then their standard modus operandi of giving less than 24 hours.

If the meeting was so “urgent” they should have had it on the weekend.

General Article: The Great DepressionOther General Articles

NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Men stand in line for soup.

During the economic boom of the Roaring Twenties, the traditional values of rural America were challenged by the Jazz Age, symbolized by women smoking, drinking, and wearing short skirts. The average American was busy buying automobiles and household appliances, and speculating in the stock market, where big money could be made. Those appliances were bought on credit, however. Although businesses had made huge gains — 65 percent — from the mechanization of manufacturing, the average worker’s wages had only increased 8 percent.

The imbalance between the rich and the poor, with 0.1 percent of society earning the same total income as 42 percent, combined with production of more and more goods and rising personal debt, could not be sustained. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. It spread from the United States to the rest of the world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the early 1940s. With banks failing and businesses closing, more than 15 million Americans (one-quarter of the workforce) became unemployed.

President Herbert Hoover, underestimating the seriousness of the crisis, called it “a passing incident in our national lives,” and assured Americans that it would be over in 60 days. A strong believer in rugged individualism, Hoover did not think the federal government should offer relief to the poverty-stricken population. Focusing on a trickle-down economic program to help finance businesses and banks, Hoover met with resistance from business executives who preferred to lay off workers. Blamed by many for the Great Depression, Hoover was widely ridiculed: an empty pocket turned inside out was called a “Hoover flag;” the decrepit shantytowns springing up around the country were called “Hoovervilles.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the rich governor from New York, offered Americans a New Deal, and was elected in a landslide victory in 1932. He took quick action to attack the Depression, declaring a four-day bank holiday, during which Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act to stabilize the banking system. During the first 100 days of his administration, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for his New Deal remedies that would rescue the country from the depths of despair.

The New Deal programs created a liberal political alliance of labor unions, blacks and other minorities, some farmers and others receiving government relief, and intellectuals. The hardship brought on by the Depression affected Americans deeply. Since the prevailing attitude of the 1920s was that success was earned, it followed that failure was deserved. The unemployment brought on by the Depression caused self-blame and self-doubt. Men were harder hit psychologically than women were. Since men were expected to provide for their families, it was humiliating to have to ask for assistance. Although some argued that women should not be given jobs when many men were unemployed, the percentage of women working increased slightly during the Depression. Traditionally female fields of teaching and social services grew under New Deal programs. Children took on more responsibilities, sometimes finding work when their parents could not. As a result of living through the Depression, some people developed habits of careful saving and frugality, others determined to create a comfortable life for themselves.

African Americans suffered more than whites, since their jobs were often taken away from them and given to whites. In 1930, 50 percent of blacks were unemployed. However, Eleanor Roosevelt championed black rights, and New Deal programs prohibited discrimination. Discrimination continued in the South, however, as a result a large number of black voters switched from the Republican to the Democrat party during the Depression.

The Great Depression and the New Deal changed forever the relationship between Americans and their government. Government involvement and responsibility in caring for the needy and regulating the economy came to be expected.

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Second, it was Government that gave the ultimatum by wanting an answer by Monday. The government is so dopey that they so even realize the Unions have already said NO MORE FURLOUGH DAYS. On Monday we will say it again.

Or, brilliant ideas like Grand Atlantic. 40 million spent….zero return.

When you drive past that monument do you shake your head at the ignorance and stupidity of those who came up with that idea?

I do.

A meeting at 10 am will be much less disruptive than one at 9am, 3pm etc.

Okay, so maybe it would be better for the majority if it was held in the evening or over the weekend, I don’t know, it’d still inconvenience some people. And maybe I don’t agree with the use of the word URGENT, it does express well that they’re on a short deadline and the meeting is important, regardless of why they’re at a short deadline.

How about we just seriously complain when they pull the really dumb stuff, like marching on KFC or illegal wildcat strikes and just let them get on with business when they’re being more reasonable.

My probably, with this meeting time is that most government workers are already on a go slow mode on any given day, whether you go to TCD, PTB, Immigration, Customs, W & E (road crew, trash collectors). Also, The Education Department is only producing a small percentage of students who pass the CPT entrance exam at BC into a College Level course so why disrupt our Monday Morning at 10 am. You are complaining that the OBA does not care about Education, but holding a meeting at this time, whether it is a one of time, shows me that the Unions don’t give a damn about education as well. As a government worker, who did not mind having furlough days would like to put a question to many government workers. If you don’t wish furlough days, are you willing to pay for your educational pursuits at BC or other institutions, or do you still want your departments to foot the bill for you. By paying for your owe educational pursuits, is a way that money could be saved. Don’t you think? Something for many of you to think about. Hopefully when you go to the meeting on Monday, it runs smoothly with an appropriate agenda so that all of you can get back to what you are paid by the tax payer to do at an appropriate time. God Bless this island.

I notice you have a completely unrealistic picture about what happens in the private sector when someone works late.

Meanwhile the minibuses will be having a field day. Keep it up bus drivers. You will meet yourselves out of existence.

Then you would be treated just like everyone else. That’s fair, right?

I’m wondering if those who work for private companies, shops, etc. have their work-related meetings on Sat/ Sun instead of attending Church or being with family. Do those individuals make sure to only meet outside of work hours when dealing with, say, possible layoffs or telling employees their wages are being cut? We’re not talking about a party here folks, trust me.

I understand when people get upset with wild cat strikes and when people get stuck because of transport/ trash issues, I do too – this is not about a grievance issue – this is about people’s jobs, security and about doing what’s right for Bermuda – which is why the union members agreed to the paycut/ furlough days the last time – to help Gov. start to get out of a huge hole of debt therefore – helping BERMUDA! I wish people would stop painting all gov. workers and union members with the same brush, as well as realize that most of us are dedicated people who work hard and struggle to do what we can with little resources and little respect.

#4 is not our job after school that is supposed to be done in school hours except that we spend school time when not in instruction in required meetings and dealing with issues with children.
Once again when private sector has to do things past work hours they are given over time or days in lieu.

Before you go criticizing walk a day in our shoes in public education!