Let workers decide whether to join unions

ISSUE | UNION DUES

The right to choose

In hearing Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a majority of the Supreme Court justices focused on whether mandatory union dues violate the First Amendment ("High court questions union fees," Jan. 12). The reality is that all union activities are inherently political and will always run amok of the views of some members.

Left unsaid in the hearing before the court is the requirement that members contribute to the often eye-popping salaries of their union executives. If a union cannot persuade people to join, coercion is not an acceptable alternative.

What is at stake is whether an employee can be compelled to join any organization as a condition of employment. In a free society, every individual deserves the right of employment without being held hostage by a third party.

|Dick Newbert, Langhorne, dick42@comcast.net

Employee protection

Dana Milbank's commentary on Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association represents the latest recitation of half-truths by union sympathizers ("Court is poised to hit unions," Wednesday).

Yes, union members can get a refund on their dues money being used for politics, but only after they jump through union-imposed rules designed to thwart refunds. And yes, union members can decertify their union, but only when they're willing to withstand the pressure tactics employed by union officials, who don't appreciate being put out of cushy jobs.

How do we fix this? All of these issues and more are effectively addressed by the Employee Rights Act before Congress - national legislation supported by 80 percent of Americans, including union households. With eight provisions, the ERA expands on Friedrichs and would protect employees in the private sector.

And what has Big Labor's response been to the most comprehensive reform of American labor law since the 1940s? Silence.

|Richard Berman, executive director, Center for Union Facts, Washington

ISSUE | JUDICIARY

Fill federal vacancies

While it's great news that the U.S. Senate finally confirmed the extremely qualified Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo for the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, its work is far from complete ("Phila. judge approved after a long wait," Jan. 12). After making Restrepo wait more than a year to be confirmed, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey must redouble his efforts, work with Democratic Sen. Robert P. Casey, and fill the remaining overdue federal court vacancies in their home state of Pennsylvania.

Nominations for four of these vacancies, described by Philadelphia Bar Association leaders as a "serious crisis," have been delayed since July. The Senate Judiciary Committee should vote on these nominees immediately.

Also, Judge Marjorie O. Rendell's seat on the Third Circuit remains vacant nearly a year after she retired. Toomey and Casey should signal to the White House that a nominee should be announced immediately.

|Jodi Hirsh, cochair, Why Courts Matter Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, jodi@whycourtsmatter.org

ISSUE | EDUCATION

City schools need an elected board

Research from the Pew Charitable Trusts questions the benefit of having large urban school districts run by the state or an authority such as the School Reform Commission to improve academic performance ("Who should run schools? It's unclear," Friday). There is no benefit, Pew concludes, and the vague direction that has been fostered and the distrust that has resulted are not good for our children. I agree.

The state created the SRC 15 years ago because it viewed the district as "intellectually and fiscally bankrupt." Under the SRC, the situation has only gotten worse.

I have introduced House Bill 195, which would create an elected, unpaid school board consisting of one member from each City Council district and one at-large, nonvoting member appointed by the mayor. Members would serve two-year terms and be limited to 10 years, and the SRC would be disbanded.

The School District is floundering in debt, without a clear vision for our schools or our children. The SRC blames the city and the state. The city blames the state.

The blame game will not end unless we allow for an elected board that assumes ultimate responsibility and can provide a clear, unbiased funding and education plan for our schools.

|Mike O'Brien, state representative, 175th District, Philadelphia

Is school-rating system accurate?

A school-rating system developed by Jacob Vigdor and Josh McGee gave the Ad Prima Charter School an A ("Calling attention to excellence among Phila. schools," Friday). At a recent School Reform Commission meeting, staff members in the Philadelphia School District's charter office raised concerns that Ad Prima's application process took place in the suburbs, prospective students needed to pass a test before being entered into the lottery for admission, and the student body consisted of a significant number of suburban students. The success of Ad Prima, therefore, had less to do with the school than with the type of student who was admitted there.

As a former researcher and systems developer, I can attest that databases such as SchoolGrades.org can be created relatively quickly and easily. The hard part is understanding the data derived from those databases. This is the lesson that Vigdor and McGee have yet to learn.

|Coleman Poses, Philadelphia

Delay requirement of Keystone tests

The Pennsylvania Senate should remove Senate Bill 880 from the budget impasse and vote on it separately before the future of high school students is negatively affected. The bill would delay the graduation requirement that students pass Keystone exams in algebra, biology, and English literature until the class of 2019.

Graduation requirements need to be a local decision, but, more importantly, the effect these tests are having on our family, including our freshman at East High School in the West Chester Area School District, is quite disheartening.

These exams are costing tens of thousands of dollars and do not truly measure students' knowledge. Receiving a diploma should not be determined by

one test on one day, forgetting about 13 years of education.

Please contact your state senator to let him or her know how you feel about this graduation requirement. Our kids deserve better.

|Rita and John Schorn, West Chester

Exams restrict learning

As a retired art teacher in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District, I have seen how the Keystone exams stripped the authentic, creative experience out of teaching, leaving teachers to be nothing more than rats on wheels, trying to cram information for deadlines.

I taught the gifted program through art in the fifth grade. We studied the culture, customs, and history of Japan. We made tea cups and participated in a Japanese tea ceremony with members of the Philadelphia Japanese Society.

There isn't enough time for this kind of study anymore.

|Claire Misko, West Chester