| Description |
This study is largely an examination of the rhetoric of the opponents and proponents of unionism. Statements are analyzed in the attempt to determine whether the motives of the arguing parties have been other than strictly educational. While the issue has centered around the meaning of professionalism, it is clear that a major concern of all parties is economic. The rhetorical arguments associated with merit pay, accountability, and class size are also examined. Findings again suggest that such arguments, although presented in educational terms, are based in large part on economic considerations. The research further suggests that since professionalism implies that a scientific body of knowledge should be used to settle issues, the question might be asked why such a knowledge has not conscientiously been sought to help solve such issues. The national scene is explored in general while the movement in Utah is analyzed more specifically. The Utah situation is studied to determine if the development of the teacher power movement in Utah has been affected by the prominence of the Mormon Church in the state and whether the development in Utah has been significantly different from the development nationally. Given the dominant role of the Mormon value system in Utah, and the explicit statements vis-a-vis unionism by Mormon leaders, one might expect the adoption of unionism by Utah teachers to proceed slowly. However, a close examination of actual developments in Utah since the late 1950's indicates that the movement in Utah has essentially followed the national pattern. In fact, Utah was one of the early states to adopt union tactics. Why this is so is largely left unstudied. It is suggested that this be a topic for future study. |
