By Kyle Olson
EAGnews.org
    
MILWAUKEE – Why does everything in public schools have to be all about the adults?  And more specifically, why have teachers unions been allowed to wrap themselves in the children and equate student interests with adult interests?
    
Student and adult interests are often radically different.  As EAGnews.org pointed out in a recent report, school districts like Milwaukee spend oodles of money for the benefit of the adults, but those expenditures have no demonstrative value for students.
    
For example, 5,241 Milwaukee teachers took 92,691 days off in 2010-11, according to information provided by the district. That equates to more than 17 absences per teacher, forcing the district to spend $11.9 million on substitutes. How does that benefit children? 
    
So the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association sought to improve its public relations image and created the “MPS Children’s Campaign.”  But MTEA’s intentions become immediately clear in union president Bob Peterson’s editorial in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
    
“During my 30 years of teaching, people often have asked, ‘What can I do to help the Milwaukee Public Schools?’
     
“My first response is to encourage them to visit a school. To witness the joys and challenges of teaching today’s students. To begin to understand the complex issues that teachers face every day and to see firsthand that many stereotypes about our schools and students are just that – stereotypes.”
     
So Peterson’s idea for “Children’s Week?”  Come see how tough our job is.
    
Perhaps MTEA and other unions should just stick to the tactics that have made them feared and revered: bullying, protesting and electioneering.  They should leave the kid stuff to others.