Bearing signs saying “No Contract? No School!" officials at Bellevue union officials have led teachers on strike, closing classrooms to 16,000 area students.

Part of the union dispute is over teacher pay.  But in Bellevue money is not a problem.  This year taxpayers are generously providing Bellevue school administrators with $164 million, or about $10,000 per student, to educate children.  A typical classroom of 25 students, for example, receives $250,000 in funding.  Obviously, much of this money never makes it to the classroom.

One drain on District resources are mandatory union dues.  The union security clause requires teachers, within 30 days of hire, to join a designated union as a condition of employment. Any teacher who does not agree to monthly deductions faces termination.

The monthly dues transfer is a major item in school district budgets.  For April 2008, Bellevue school officials transferred $111,600 to five union bank accounts.  That number breaks down as follows.

Bellevue Education Association (the teachers’ union) $87,677

International Association of Machinists and Aeros …..      430

International Union of Operating Engineers…………..   4,413

Maintenance Employees Association ………………..      130

Service Employees International Union ……………    18,946

Total monthly dues transferred ……………………$111,596

In the 2006-07 school year, Bellevue officials transferred a total of $933,880 in monthly dues to unions.

Considering the importance of the work society is asking them to do, school teachers should be paid a lot more.  If most education funding actually reached the classroom, Bellevue could pay its teachers on average $100,000 per nine-month academic year, and still have $125,000 per classroom available for all other operating expenses.

Instead, school districts should adopt a system in which principals are allowed to hire teachers and pay much higher salaries.  A commonsense salary policy would end disruptive labor disputes, maintain classroom access for children, attract top talent to teaching and, finally, actually pay school teachers what they deserve.