The state and New York City teacher unions, NYSUT and UFT, have been bellowing quite a bit in the last month about charter schools needing more accountability and transparency. NYSUT boss Richard Iannuzzi himself, the New York Times reported on Saturday, "was able to persuade the Assembly to add requirements to its bill" for that (and much more in an attempt to derail charter schools altogether).

The teacher unions concern for "accountability" is touching -- if it were real. In actuality, it's not real but phony.

School Accountability? Nah - Lawsuit!
Lest anyone doubt the fraudulent nature of the unions call for accountability for charter schools, look no further than the lawsuit being filed today by the UFT to stop the City Department of Education's plan for closing 19 chronically low-performing district schools. They don't want those schools, or their teachers, held accountable - period. When the City attempts to do so by closing a bad school or firing a teacher, a the union sues and the teacher gets the infamous "rubber room" with no work at full pay. See Sunday's New York Post for the latest rubber room celebrity (here).

UFT Bussed In The Crowd
That's not all. Last week's crowd protesting the meeting of the City's Panel on Education Policy that voted to close these schools appears to have a dubious connection to the schools, and unrepresentative of the parents attending those schools. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said that most of the people speaking out were UFT union leaders and chapter leaders, and the UFT bussed in people to attend the meeting.

Michael Mulgrew, UFT's leader still trying to pretend to be John L. Lewis, acknowledged the union provided 50 buses. But, hey, he denied the that those in attendance were being pushed by the union. Got it?

Do Parents Really Want Those Schools Remaing Open?
Today's Daily News editorial provides a very telling analysis of parental demand for these schools slated for closure which sheds doubt the genuineness of last weeks raucous meeting and substantiates the union's manipulation of the crowd. Every year, about 75,000 eighth grade students rank the high schools they wish to attend, and "hardly mentioned" are those on the closure list. "Parents know what's up," the News writes.

It cannot be said too often: teacher unions are about serving adults, including protecting them from accountability. Sure, teacher unions want quality education for children, too. But when it's absent, they are back to protecting the adults who are culpable, be it a lawsuit, legislative action, or the rubber room. Whatever it takes.

Peter Murphy
for The Chalkboard
(see me Twitter @ PeterMurphy26)