Admittedly, I am not as eloquent as the towncrier. I do, however, have some observations from the Hudson School Board listening session over the matter of teachers engaging in an illegal walkout two weeks ago. Instead of speaking on the subject matter of the walkout, I decided upon entering the room to observe. I received more of an education than expected. The following is a summary of last night.

The Superintendent reported that on any given day an average of 59 teachers call out absent for a variety of reasons. With nearly 350 teachers in the district, the number of daily absences equates to almost 17% of the teaching force. No business could ever operate with that type of absentee rate. Considering the cost of hiring a substitute plus paying the regular teacher’s pay for the day, the tab to taxpayers must be significant (This will be further investigated).

The room decidedly listed toward the teachers that had held a rally before the meeting. But why let the teachers speak at all. It was their actions that caused the listening session in the first place. This was a chance for the ordinary citizen to express their opinions on the walkout. The teachers already told the public how they felt when they decided to protest instead of teaching. The question was not a matter of whether they violated the contract. By making an apology, Scott Ellingson admitted guilt in a coordinated sickout or walkout. If that point was clear, then why have the teachers speak. I believe the teachers know all too well that the throng intimidates citizens with children in the school who may face grade retribution for an outspoken parent. Teachers are government employees and therefore, in a different classification than the public. Obviously through the years the teachers, the board of education, and the administration have formed the trinity where it is difficult to see any oversight.

After listening to the comments and how the speakers approached the subject matter of the illegal teacher walkout, it donned on me that the different sides of the chasm are really from different universes. The room was literally divided between the left brain and the right. In terms of arithmetic, the logical side sees 2+2=4 or 4=2+2 or 4-2=2, which then allows other calculations such as multiplication and division.

The emotional side looks at the same equation as 2+2 (depending on my emotions)=3 or 3=2+3(on a bad day) or 3-2 (when I am really stressed)=6. Not only do the laws of math change upon the situation, but more pertinent so do the laws governing contracts and human interaction, which includes economics. This is why it makes sense to Scott Ellingson when he writes in the paper about the economic stimulus that comes from you being taxed out of your wallet and into his pocket.

The parameters of the speeches were restricted to the topic of the walkout and limited for three minutes. The moderator on several occasion warned teachers and supporters about crossing the line of topic. The 2+2=5 crowd talked about the Bishop of a local church, the United Nations, quality education, and most of all the stresses they face. Teachers for some reason believe their occupation is a unique stress factory. We heard how they could not sleep, eat, or stay on task because of the oppressing stress endured over the Walker bill. The inference was clear; we walked out because our emotions could not be controlled (2+2=10). The walkout was not their fault. The Governor inflicted such emotional distress that they had no choice but to break the terms of their contract. Furthermore they do not merit consequences for the illegal walkout because they are entitled to different rules than the rest of society.
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