In our schools, it is very easy to run roughshod over the rights of adults. “It’s for the children… you’re for the children, aren’t you?” It’s an easy sell, and it tugs at the heartstrings of all but the most hardened of hearts. But it’s too often a cheap line, and too many people have used it to push teachers too far, burn them out, abuse their compassion and care.
Teachers unions make sure that individual teachers don’t have to do that every day. They remind administrators that there are limits. And they remind administrators that for teachers do be able to do this job, day in and day out, year after year, teachers need to be taken care of as well.