Thank you for posting this article. This is a very hot button issue for me and brought a well of emotion. As one who has been a certified educator for 6 years, this article is really informative and a real "eye-opener" for those who are in education, have been in education, or thinks they want to be in education. I am an educator in Georgia where there aren't any teachers unions. Most teachers could only dream of having a CBU or Collective Bargaining agreement on file with their county schools systems. A union protects good teachers who deserve to have their careers safeguarded. I once worked for a principal much like the principal p.s.49. An article was written about this particular principal for raising our campus to 90/90/90 school status (90% minority/90% on free or reduced lunch/ 90% successful on standardized tests). Behind closed doors, he was an unqualified TYRANT ruining the careers of anyone who opposed him and his cronies. There were only a handful of teachers who did the bulk of the work (staying late, working Saturdays, tutoring sessions, et cetera) while the favorites were always exculpated of duty. Those who work the hardest are those who are least rewarded. I've also seen excellent teachers placed on PDP's or Professional Development Plans as a means to keep them from having the ability to leave or be transferred. Politics plays a very important part in teacher and principal selection and retention. Like most industries it's definitely all about "who you know" and I've seen totally unqualified teachers and administrators, WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIECE, move into the school system as untouchables. Anytime there is a problem, teachers are to blame. I talk to allot of retired teachers who say in their day, there was more parental involvement, and teachers were respected. Today, you as an educator are supposed to be parent, instructor, counselor, and kaplanesque test prep expert. Most teachers are overworked, underpaid, poorly treated, threatened, poorly trained and are so enervated at the end of the day they have very little to give to their own families. Fortunately, I will be making my exit from education after this school year, and when asked by those interested should they pursue education my answer is no and I ravel off a laundry list of the pro's and most importantly con's of being an educator.