“Steve Jobs insulted California’s teachers. They want him to apologize,” Jack D. Miller writes for Mac360. “He won’t, and the whole brouhaha may cost Apple millions in Mac sales to school systems and harm students. What should he do? Hold that thought while I back up.”
Miller writes, “Unless you were out of the country, and haven’t checked the news recently, Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, insulted, lambasted, poked, prodded, and bullied teacher unions. How? How about this? Jobs said, ‘I believe that what is wrong with our schools in this nation is that they have become unionized in the worst possible way.’ That’s for starters.”
“Hours afterwards, American Federation of Teachers President Edward J. McElroy called for Jobs head on a platter… [but] was Jobs wrong? Many teachers and nearly everyone else agreed with Jobs’ poke at the unions in schools,” Miller writes.
“How does blasting teachers and their union help the Apple cause? True, a little truth hurts,” Miller writes. “What Jobs spoke, by many measures was truth, and I’m married to a teacher. Carol agreed with Steve and echoed similar frustrations as she deals with incompetent teachers every day.”
Miller writes, “It isn’t that I don’t agree with Steve’s sentiments regarding teacher unions, but I have to ask, ‘is it necessary to voice such an opinion?’ Who wins? Teachers and educators are upset at Apple and that could cause them to revolt and purchase fewer Macs. In turn, fewer Macs in the classroom mean more students would be required to learn and use Windows PCs.”
Full article here.
Jack, you lost us. Didn’t you just get through telling us that your wife the teacher and “many teachers and nearly everyone else agreed with Jobs?”
Don’t confuse union bosses with teachers. Let’s be clear: Jobs didn’t insult California’s teachers (Jobs made his statements in Texas, by the way) or “teachers” as whole. Jobs insulted bad teachers and teacher unions. The teachers with whom we’ve corresponded agree with Jobs roughly 6-1. Of course the unions themselves are upset as they’re being called out publicly and loudly, but union leaders don’t often pick the kinds of computers schools use.
Jack asked above, “Who wins?” Jobs was trying to start the ball rolling so that the students would end up winning (for a change).
And, hey, you never know, people might just prefer to buy product from someone who’s unafraid to speak their mind (even if it could potentially hurt sales) vs. some meek little asskisser who sits quietly with his hands folded in his lap praying that people will mindlessly continue buying his cut-rate garbage. Right, Mr. Dell?
Related articles:
Teachers union demands apology from Apple CEO Steve Jobs – February 23, 2007
A clearer picture of Steve Jobs’ thoughts on public education and teacher unions – February 21, 2007
Steve Jobs & Rush Limbaugh agree: U.S. public schools are ‘unionized in the worst possible way’ – February 20, 2007
Apple CEO blasts teacher unions, says US schools are ‘unionized in the worst possible way’ – February 16, 2007
For the people who don’t think teachers unions buy computers here is some informaiton for you.
The large school districts teacher’s unions across this country buy millions of dollars of computers from Apple.
Teacher centers are in many of these large districts with Apple computers purchased and supported by the unions
for teacher use.
Teacher’s unions offer teachers techonology courses for college credits which are housed in union buildings with union computers.
Retirees are also offered technology classes which are housed in union offices with computer labs.
Teacher purchase programs are offered to many teachers with education discounts through the union and their newspapers.
I don’t know if there will be any ramifications by Steve’s statement but a national teachers union boycot of Apple computers
would have a impact on Apple education business.
I would personally be affected by this.
Unions exist in most places because of poor management. Toyota and Honda, for example, treat their workers well and are not organized by the UAW.
Here is a prime example of the kind of thing that makes workers join unions.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/workplace/view/
Steve’s comments brought mostly negative publicity from the main stream press. If granted a proper forum he should elaborate upon his intentions regarding sub par teachers. I think he should accept the CA union offer to speak or risk award of the “Rotten Apple”, which will most certainly make headlines again. Apple’s Public Relations Department needs to go into damage control and advise Steve how to proceed. Steve’s remarks will be perceived by those who receive their Apple news from main line press as uncomplimentary. If Apple is not part of the solution then hush. We, who read and follow the Mac press, have a different tolerance for SJ’s misspeaks. The consumer market is Apple’s growth target. One sale at a time.
Macintosh today, Macintosh tomorrow and Macintosh forever!
I don’t think the question here is whether Jobs comments were wrong or right. I personally agree with his sentiments. However, the question is, “Will his comments hurt Apple?”
The answer is quite possibly yes. To say that teachers unions are not responsible for purchasing decisions is completely false.. Teachers Unions are composed of teachers and prinicipals. And yes, teachers and prinicpals have a voice in determing what computers are used in their classrooms. If Jobs offended some teachers or union members, it can easily have a direct effect on those teachers (and those that they influence) decisions.
“Unions exist in most places because of poor management. Toyota and Honda, for example, treat their workers well and are not organized by the UAW.”
No, they do not have unions because they build their factories in southern “right to work” states where union membership can’t be compelled by law. I, like most, believe that unions were created for good reasons. When you look at the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, unions were needed to protect workers and they formed in the absence of laws compelling membership. They grew powerful enough to get the laws compelling membership passed in the northern industrial states.
However since then federal standards have all but eliminated the need for unions. I am not opposed to any union that I do not have to join. Laborers should be able to choose to join or not to.
The NEA is right to be indicted for the current state of our education system, but even more so the governments that have allowed such things as unconditional tenure need to take the blame. Jobs was right, but there is more blame to be dealt out.
Bad teachers should be fired, period. Good teachers should be rewarded. We as citizens should be requiring that the government give us a say in how the schools are run.
As MDN already stated, but for some reason a few people need help:
If more teachers and computer-buying decision makers agree with Steve Jobs than disagree, then his statements will actually cause an education sales increase for Macs.
“If more teachers and computer-buying decision makers agree with Steve Jobs than disagree, then his statements will actually cause an education sales increase for Macs.”
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Yes, but as already has been proven, Jobs’ comments have already created an Apple backlash with some members of the union. When purchasing school computers, it generally comes down to a vote between say Apple or Dell.. Pissing off just a few members could be the difference to push the vote in Dell’s favor.. Ultimately, it probably would’ve been in Apple’s best interest had Steve not commented on the matter.
Being an educator for close to 30 years, I agree with Jobs. The unions have it extremely difficult to remove an inadequate teacher. The unions will tell you that a poor teacher can be removed but they don’t tell you that the process can take 2-5 years and requires gobs of paperwork and intervention plans. I am now the tech coordinator in our district and I help make the decision about what computers to buy. We have and will continue to buy computers from Apple. Jobs is pointing out what 90% of educators (and union officials if they were honest) already know – it’s almost impossible to get rid of incompetent teachers. BTW – I am a member of our local education union.
Lets work this one through.
Most teachers are dedicated and skilled, but there are a few bad ones. But the bad ones can stay in their jobs because the unions protect them come what may.
Steve Jobs criticises way that the union protects bad teachers, because the kids lose out and America as a whole loses out in the future if it’s children don’t get a good education.
The bad teachers teachers take offence and decide to hit back at Steve Jobs, so they pick on Apple.
So they boycott the most suitable computers for kids and presumably make them use PCs instead.
As a consequence, the kid gets taught by a bad teacher, who is using a bad computer too.
What have these teachers and the unions now done to improve the position of the pupils ? They should be shown up for the self-serving hypocrites that they are.
Will Steve’s speech hurt Apple ? No, but it might negatively affect Apple to a small extent in the short term. But Apple benefits from having a CEO who has the courage to say things that need to be said, irrespective of the consequences to his company … and I say that as one who has a significant number of Apple shares.
Stop kicking me!
But Apple benefits from having a CEO who has the courage to say things that need to be said, irrespective of the consequences to his company … and I say that as one who has a significant number of Apple shares.
That’s the spirit! Steve Jobs is not obligated by his role as CEO of Apple to ignore his heartfelt sensibilities about anything. Nobody has to sell his soul to run a company, although many seemingly choose to do exactly that. I admire Steve Jobs for having the guts to speak out on a subject that concerns him rather than keeping silent to protect Apple’s bottom line. Our children are a non-renewable resource. If their education is botched, the future of the whole human race is adversely affected.
re: “I Teach”
in the “right to work states”, teachers don’t have to join the union, but the union MUST represent non members in grievances.
you may oppose tenure but someday your superior may not share your apparent view of yourself as a highly skilled teacher and will give you the boot.
if this happens, perhaps your views of tenure and unions will change.
AFAIK there’s no union for school superintendents. Ever hear of one being fired unless there’s a scandal? Take away the teachers’ unions and you can bet that some teachers will be fired because of politics or discrimination rather than whether or not they’re good teachers.
Re. “The point is that ALL teachers (good or bad) have a voice and can make an impact in deciding which computers end up in their classrooms.”
In most cases the decision about which computers to buy is made by the school board and/or the superintendent, not the teachers who end up trying to use them in their classrooms. If teachers are lucky, the district will have an in-service program so everyone learns how to use the computers effectively. And if they’re really lucky, the schools will buy effective software that actually works with the curriculum. And if they’re incredibly lucky, there will be more than one computer available for the students to use.
But I still don’t understand what Steve hoped to gain by his criticism of teachers and their unions. He should stick to making good computers, iPods and iPhones.
Being in the education field, I am all for getting rid of teachers that are not competent in their field(s) of teaching. This is where teachers’ unions need to be revamped IMO.
Society doesn’t treat teaching as a profession. Here is quote from another forum that illustrates the attitude of most people.
Quote from me, “Now, you ask yourself why most new teachers, on average, leave the profession after only two years on the job. Do some research and find out the answer, because you seem to think you know it all.”
Other forum user’s answer, “Because they do not love it – so they leave. It is a calling, not a profession.”
Yeah OK. Teaching is a profession not a bloody calling. I have to be highly qualified as a Mathematics teacher, which means having a four year degree in the field that I want to teach. Also, I have to take two state exams to be fully certifiable. Plus, don’t forget that I have to take many training sessions during my teaching career. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the Master’s degree I want to get too.
Society pays teachers shit salaries because they view teachers as being in a calling. Some of you people need to smash your heads together to see if you can come up with an ounce of brain matter.
Here in South Florida where the Mac is appearing in record numbers in schools, the teachers have absolutely NO input as to what systems are purchased. Nor do the teachers unions.
And here in Florida we have some perfect examples of what Jobs was talking about. Substandard educators that extend all the way up to principals in some cases. My uncle (a teacher), who retires this year is totally fed-up with what he sees going on but thinks that the unions are the only way to go. Remember, we are talking about a state in which teachers will spend their own money to supplement their supplies with which to teach. That is the good ones do, The rest just teach the FCAT and do little else.
Al Gorey- the hypocrit. He loves unions.
http://drudgereport.com/flash.htm