I am so proud to call Madison my home.
I am so proud of the decision by the Madison Public Schools to shutter their doors and stand with the teachers and public employees of Wisconsin. Not every school district in the state would be brave enough to promote the best interests of school children, teachers, and the community as Madison is now demonstrating.
Some are too timid to stand up from their office desk and walk shoulder to shoulder with state workers and public employees out of fear. But Madison is showing everyone how it is done.
This is the time to be bold. This is the time to stand on principle. This is the time to not take a back seat to the crass political calculations that Governor Walker is unleashing on Wisconsin.
So I applaud and stand with all the teachers and educators of Madison and other places around Wisconsin in this time of struggle.
Teachers of Wisconsin, You Make Me Proud!
The Madison Metropolitan School District said its closing all schools to students Wednesday due to “substantial concerns of excessive staff absences.”
The move comes after the head of the Madison teachers union called Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Dan Nerad to recommend that he close schools Wednesday, saying few staff members represented by the union will be present.
Teachers in the Madison Metropolitan School District are planning a district-wide absence Wednesday to protest against Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to take away collective bargaining rights.
More than 10,000 people, including many teachers, came to the Capitol on Tuesday to protest against Walker’s proposal and testify at a public hearing on the measure.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Hurrah for Madison. It’s time for liberals, progressives or whatever we call ourselves to stop acting like whipped dogs and to stand up for the rights of working people and for a public policy that will advance the interests of the majority over those of the plutocrats and their allies. I never thought I’d say that Americans have something to learn from the people of Tunisia and Egypt, but we would do well to take their lesson to heart.
I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with you. I am sure that you won’t post my comment because of that, but it’s the truth.
I am not a Walker fan and I certainly did not vote for him, but I also think that very small of the teachers to be *cough, cough* sick. If I didn’t like something at my job along with others and we called in sick, we would not have that job for much longer. Union or not. Why is it good that our teachers can pout and skip school and be praised for it?
And how is this beneficial to children and parents. Because of this sudden cancellation, the kids are not learning whatever it was that would have been taught today. Some are not getting a decent meal that would have been served at the school (because there are many Madison students that have their ‘best’ meal of the day at school). Parents are having to miss work and stay home with their kids or are having to scurry around to find daycare for them or let them wander about on their own and do goodness knows what. How is that good?
Are you aware of what teachers make? When the majority of people are scraping by to put food on the table or pay their taxes, teachers are making almost $40K at starting in small districts and more in larger. Remember, that is for 9 months of the year, so they are really making about 53K or more starting if we made it a year. They don’t work weekends. They don’t work holidays. They get sick days, personal days, and can even take vacations during the middle of the school year (with a substitute getting paid at the same time too) because that three months of summer vacation is not enough. Plus they have extremely nice health care with little to no employee input, other insurances like eye, dental, and life, and have a very comfortable retirement package. Walker may be a goon, but he is right on what he is saying.
I really wonder how these people say they are professionals, because they are acting more like celebrities: whining and acting out to get their way. There is nothing professional about that.
FIRE THE TEACHERS!!
there are plenty who WANT to work, that are dedicated to their job and career. IF those who “called in sick” were truly dedicated to your kids, they would have put the kids first on the priority list… not their self interests.
Don’t think so? Go talk to a Parochial teacher.
The only reason why you are proud is because you are not a parent and you enjoy sensationalizing news events that have nothing to do with you!
Madison Parent,
No, I do not have children. But that begs the question of why I support the teachers, education, and labor laws in Wisconsin. I am sorry that you can not understand the needs that we face at this time and act accordingly. Might I see you after your work hours standing outside the statehouse? Or is your contempt for teachers not that they are on strike today but because you are anti-labor unions?
This is a sad day for education when the people who are suppose to be teaching the children turned their back on them for selfish greed. I hope the people in Madison demand that any teacher caught at a protest rally today be fired on the spot since they all called in sick and if they are well enough to attend a rally they should have been in the classroom. Just sickens me to see how little educators care about students and all it is about to them is a paycheck, then we wonder why are public schools in this state are such failures.
Logan,
I can tell you have not been in a classroom in Madison lately. The tone you write about concerning teachers is just not anywhere factual. But I understand that your point was not to be factual, but anti-union.
Might you tell me what day you were at at the statehouse working to undo this union-busting bill?
The district did NOT close in support of the teachers or to protest anything. The district closed because they would be unable to provide the learning environment for students that they should with so many teachers out “sick”.
@dekerivers – are you a public or private sector worker? The tone of your post indicates that you believe that the unions have done nothing to aggravate the budget issues that we have in the state….
Sir, this is what happens when unions become political actions groups and choose sides. Unions were meant to protect workers and they have involved into political groups, they need to be decertified they need to refocus and they need to understand that what goes around comes around, this is a great lesson being taught. I agree 100% in what Scott Walker is doing and hopefully this will spread to more states around this country. Break the unions, its the only way to save America.
Logan,
Thanks for being honest. I had it pegged correctly then from the tone of your first comment.
Why might you say to corporate America and the business community that in your words become “political actions groups and choose sides.”
Another point of view,
I do not think the labor unions have done anything to create a condition for the nuclear option that Scott Walker used.
As for my being a private or public employee that has nothing to do with my understanding of history, politics, labor law, education needs in the state, how economics works, how state budgets are prepared, etc. etc.