These are problems as well, but don’t try to tell me the unions aren’t protecting bad teachers — or that knowledge of subject matter isn’t a fundamental problem because as a teacher I know better than that. I’ve seen too much get a pass here in the deep south. (And please re-read my post because unions were not “all” of the problem — and I did not say they were!) Try reading with a little less defensiveness and a little more objectivity.
Yes, I’ve seen not-that-great teachers get a pass as well. Most of them were little cutie pies right out of school who had the chairman wrapped around their finger. Others were veteran lickspittles for whom we offered to buy some brown lipstick. Since everyone is paying equal union dues, everyone gets equal protection—not-that-great teachers and really great ones. Otherwise, you would have a legitimate complaint that not-that-great teachers and great teachers should pay different amounts of dues, right? It is the job of unions to protect their dues-paying members, not to judge them. There are far too many vindictive and outright dishonest administrators to do that.