Townhall: Unaccountable California Teachers Unions Must Be Reined In

I will never forget my first lesson in politics. It came early in life and involved California teachers unions.

I attended public school, K-12, in Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) located in affluent South Orange County. It’s a district known for high graduation rates and sought-after schools.

In first grade, I caught daily sightings of teachers protesting their grievances with supposed low pay. How could this be, especially in ritzy South Orange County? It seemed inconceivable to me. But what did I know then? I was simply a “brainwashed” daughter of Republican voters.

It turns out, however, CUSD teachers are paid handsome salaries averaging $67,980 (kindergarten) to $78,940 (middle school) per available Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) statistics. Moreover, powerful teachers’ unions had a stranglehold on our school board. When reformers were elected, they were shortly recalled. It was an unsustainable system. 

Although I left California in 2012, I’m not surprised to see emboldened California teachers’ unions still wreaking havoc today. Just look at neighboring Los Angeles County. 

I attended public school, K-12, in Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) located in affluent South Orange County. It’s a district known for high graduation rates and sought-after schools.

In first grade, I caught daily sightings of teachers protesting their grievances with supposed low pay. How could this be, especially in ritzy South Orange County? It seemed inconceivable to me. But what did I know then? I was simply a “brainwashed” daughter of Republican voters.

It turns out, however, CUSD teachers are paid handsome salaries averaging $67,980 (kindergarten) to $78,940 (middle school) per available Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) statistics. Moreover, powerful teachers’ unions had a stranglehold on our school board. When reformers were elected, they were shortly recalled. It was an unsustainable system. 

Although I left California in 2012, I’m not surprised to see emboldened California teachers’ unions still wreaking havoc today. Just look at neighboring Los Angeles County. 

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