There's a ruse going on in the Cleveland area that no one is talking about and that's the Teacher's Union Plan to physically close schools for the Fall and have online learning.
Locally, here's the problem.
The UPS Drivers are in Unions. I saw UPS Drivers up and down my street all through the pandemic. Did they close? They did not. How do I know? I personally spoke to a UPS employee.
The Ford Factory workers are in Unions. They closed, then re-opened with masks, temperature checks, and they turned off the air conditioning. After briefly closing, they are now open. How do I know? I personally spoke to a Ford employee.
Giant Eagle workers are in Unions. We went to the Grocery Store throughout the pandemic. I believe they only briefly restricted their hours, but never closed. How do I know? I walked into Giant Eagle multiple times. Used their self-checkout on every occasion.
The Cleveland Browns players went back to training camp this week after a long layoff. Like it or not, the Cleveland Browns have a Player's Union. 2 players opted out of the season yesterday. How do I know? I am a gullible Cleveland Browns fan.
Unions charged with protecting their workers in nearly all walks of life have almost all returned to work. Did I see teachers picketing Giant Eagle with signs saying "Protect Union Workers?" I did not. Did I see teachers anywhere protesting on behalf of other Union Professionals going back to work? I did not. Are there any Union workers still at home BESIDES the teachers? I skimmed down the list of the 20 largest Unions in America and, with the exception of the teachers, I didn't see any professions, as a group, still working from home.
Again, I don't hate teachers, they have difficult jobs under the best of circumstances. (Some are probably spell-checking my article right now.) And yes, I know their classrooms are jammed with snot-filled, germy kids. But as a nation, apparently we decided that we don't like lockdowns and we're all going back out with our masks on. I am not saying that I agree or disagree with whether we should be locked down or not, I'm saying it is too late for the teachers......
Or is it? All summer I heard that the Cleveland Schools had to go back in the Fall because the students needed structure and the services that the school provided. All of a sudden, after rumblings of a mass exodus of Cleveland Teachers through Opt-Outs, Retirements, and flat-out quitting, the Cleveland Schools decided to go with the remote learning option for the first 9 weeks.
Other districts in Cuyahoga County are reviewing the recommendations of the state. But if you look at a map, you'll see some tendencies. School districts that have trouble attracting young teachers are choosing the remote option. School districts out in the far reaching suburbs, just outside the county, with piles of Teacher's Applications on the Human Resource Officer's desk, are opting for more aggressive opening plans. Colored Coronavirus counties do not directly correlate with which schools are open.
Because sometimes it's not about education, or the coronavirus, but about leverage.
Every Teacher that chirps "I don't want to die in the classroom" is an insult to other Union workers that worked through the pandemic. Trust me, Cousin XXXX at Giant Eagle doesn't want to die, either. (He may drink like he wants to die, but that's another article for another day.)