The forces that are against us have declared war.
Faith Community – Column by Bob Shillingstad
Many people have declared that there are battles we are facing from forces that want to erase religion, faith, family, and morality from our culture. What are the replacements these forces are pushing on us? Here are a few: LGBTQ is normal, the transgender movement is good, marriage can mean anything as long as love is involved, sexual boundaries mean nothing, harm to children is secondary to the mission of destroying the family, and the schools and “healthcare” industry take precedence over parents and their permission. Columnists like Kootenai Journal’s Ralph K. Ginorio and others have made the case that the populace needs to wake up to see the agenda that we are facing.
The Coeur d’Alene School District, like many districts across the nation, have allowed the union known as the National Education Association (NEA) to share in the administration of the schools. The Idaho Education Association (IEA) and the Coeur d’Alene Education Association (CEA) are all affiliates of the NEA and share its values. Unsurprisingly, if you are following the moves by the unions in education policy, they have spent their time pushing for a slew of radical progressive policies instead of focusing on the needs of students.
They have created a “criminal justice” task force that aligns with radical forces to protect criminals. They denounced the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade and are in support of packing the court and abolishing the Senate filibuster. The education associations fail to understand that schools are not political incubators. Educators should be more concerned with teaching students fundamental building blocks than with shoveling leftist policies down the throats of students.
NEA resolution I-55 was presented this year at their convention which reads, “educators must acknowledge the existence of white supremacy culture as a primary root cause of institutional racism, structural racism, and white privilege.” Another resolution said, “a safe and inclusive environment ensures that all transgender students have access to the bathroom or locker room of their choice.”
We could go on and on outlining the radical views of the teachers union on a national, state, and local level, but you get the idea. The question is this — why would the local school board bend over backwards to allow the union to share in the administration of the education of students? Most citizens don’t take time to read the labor agreement that is enforceable in the courts which our school board and the union have agreed to. It is available on the school district’s website for patrons to read. Here are some examples from that agreement:
Section 4. CEA President Released Time “…the CEA president or designee shall be released the equivalent of two days per week to conduct CEA business. The cost of the first 38 days shall be paid 100% by the district.”
Read the entire document and you will understand that the district is in effect subsidizing a union that most people would say is contrary to everything our conservative community stands for. Not only are they providing economic benefits to the union, they are allowing the teacher to be out of the classroom for two days a week, or more. Most education experts agree that the teacher being in the classroom consistently is essential to education. A substitute in the classroom should be a last resort. This is a district with test scores that have been lagging and not improving. This is a district that is short of funds and expects the taxpayers to help support the union.
As you read through the union agreement there are many areas that are shocking. Obviously the district has an obligation under the law to negotiate a contract in good faith for wages, benefits, and working hours. This is what most unions want, more money and benefits for less work. Negotiating a labor contract with binding arbitration does not mean that the district should turn over management of the district to the union — especially to a union with values that are contrary to the people of the community.
We are in a spiritual battle with an organization that wants to exclude parental involvement and to implement their radical agenda. This is a battle for the soul of America. Be informed!
