Teachers union opposes ‘Bad Teachers’

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Part 110 of 109 in the series Educating America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7SZzAvmyjk&list=PLlfByvTYaRoWHZag_CVOr9nSkaU4r59QM

By Mary C. Tillotson | Watchdog.org

Allegedly in response to pressure from teachers unions, the Investigation Discovery Network canceled the TV show “Bad Teachers” after one episode. The show highlighted the scandalous behavior of some public school teachers.

Bob Bowdon, executive director of Choice Media, responded tongue-in-cheek.

“The news here is that the American media is afraid of controversy,” he said. “It’s afraid of salacious television, and we can’t have some sort of television that’s shocking and provocative.”

Choice Media frequently aggregates articles on teacher scandals.

“I have mixed feelings,” said Charles Russo, director of the educational leadership program at the University of Dayton. “On the one hand, I think the union is throwing (its) weight around too much, but…the vast majority of teachers are good people who are doing fine work. To pull out those few bad apples, I do think, tends to give the wrong impression.”

Choice Media and Russo also discussed Texas charter and district superintendent pay, a school management vote in Philadelphia, a New York City teachers union deal, testing in Minnesota, and a fight over teacher evaluations in Michigan.

Contact Mary C. Tillotson at mtillotson@watchdog.org.