Kyle Farmer Speaks for Kasich, Not for Teachers
I know I don’t speak alone when I voice the fact that a certain commercial has been running in my state of Ohio which gets my dander up every time I see it. If you’re a teacher in Ohio, you probably know exactly the ad I am referring to. It features a teacher from Baltimore, Ohio, who is all for Issue 2. Well, recent information has turned up about this educator who obviously has some ulterior motives for appearing in this commercial.
Kyle Farmer, who is featured in this ad, (please follow this link to view it if you haven’t yet) identifies himself as a teacher, which is true; he teaches at the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Center, where he is listed as a social studies instructor. But he is so much more than that, or at least he wants to be.
In the ad, Farmer sings the virtues of this legislation, in spite of the fact that it would strip Ohio’s public employees of almost all of their collective bargaining rights, leaving critical decisions in the hands of school districts. (Just look back at my blog about New Berlin, Wisconsin if you want proof of what it could do to teachers in Ohio.)
So, why does he appear in this ad, risking the anger of many of his fellow teachers? Well, according to several sources, including the Columbus Dispatch, Farmer is the official chairman of the Fairfield County Republican Party, with great aspirations for a future in politics. In fact, on his Twitter page, he refers to himself as a “wannabe political operative.” And, low and behold, he is a member of Kasich’s steering committee of teachers assembled to help him decide how merit pay should be implemented. As you recall, this was one of the provisions of Senate Bill 5, now Issue 2.
Farmer has spoken more than once of his dislike of the Ohio Education Association on his Twitter account, accusing the union of “stealing” money from him, and calling the OEA “thugs.”
He has also posted a picture of himself at the governor’s mansion, and appeared in a political ad on the Internet plugging “Teachers for Kasich.”
And what of his own aspirations? Well, in 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, and it is rumored, according to the citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition, We Are Ohio, which came together to repeal SB5, that he is considering another run for office in the future.
This is a man whose motivation is clearly not to express the view of teachers, but to glean favor from a governor who is determined to strip public employees (and that includes those that Farmer would call his colleagues) of any decision-making ability and protection from their union.
By the way, Kyle is not the only Farmer to be politically inspired. His father, Joseph Farmer, is an At-Large member of the State Board of Education whose term expires on Dec. 31, 2014. Would it come as a huge surprise to learn that Joseph was appointed in 2011 by Governor John Kasich?
So, how credible is this ad? Well, it features a teacher who does not disclose his ties to Kasich or his resentment of labor unions and claims to be speaking for his fellow teachers. Not very truthful so far, and then the Columbus Dispatch uncovered one last little deception in the ad which also features footage of a female teacher in a classroom of young children in front of a whiteboard. Guess what? That isn’t a real Ohio teacher at all; it is a stock clip that has also been used in similar anti-union campaigns in Wisconsin.
Shame on you, Kyle Farmer! How dare you pretend to represent the teachers of your state when you are clearly seeking to advance your own agenda! I am sure you made points with the governor, but I bet things are a little uncomfortable for you around your sold-out colleagues.
Merit Pay for Teachers, Teacher's Unions, Teacher-World's Blog
Your comments suggest that anyone that doesn’t favor your point of view must obviously be a liar. Is it that surprising that a teacher in favor of SB5/Issue 2 is a conservative Republican? Would the only legitimate person for an Issue 2 ad be a teacher that isn’t a conservative? Every time a political ad is run and someone “speaks” for a group in which they are a part, it is obviously a generalization. Do you think every grandmother in Ohio whose granddaughter was saved by a firefighter is against SB5/Issue 2? The more I think about your comments, the more I laugh. Your ending is the best – it is the equivalent of the teachers’ Uncle Tom. Think about what you are saying and tell me how this helps the political discourse in Ohio and the country? As a teacher, you are saying he can have no other position but the one you find better or right. Way to be open-minded.
As an aside, one of the most important aspects of SB5 is removing tenure. It is a terrible, terrible practice that has no parallel in any other profession. And public employees are so upset about collective bargaining, but remember, you are paid with tax dollars. If there is a disagreement between teachers and the approving board, I’d rather have the board make the decision so I can vote for or against them based on their decisions instead of some arbitrator who is completely unaccountable. Why is this so confusing for teachers/public employees to understand or appreciate and why is it presented as if it will destroy the middle class? That is so hyperbolic. Do you really think school board members (many of who are parents with kids in the district they serve) will just unilaterally cut everyone’s wages by 50% or something to save a buck? The school board members I know want GOOD teachers and will pay to get and retain them. I guess that means if you suck as a teacher, SB5 is not a good thing. Will wages be under pressure? Sure, maybe. But that means you may have to work harder and differentiate yourself at work to be noticed and get the pay raise. Wow, what a concept. It’s what us private-sector employees have been doing for decades.
Steve, while I appreciate your opinion and your comment, I think that you failed to understand the point that I was making. I am sure that there are some teachers out there who are for Issue 2, and my beef is not with them. I have no business judging anyone for their political beliefs. But I most certainly can be more than a little outraged when someone like Farmer is trying to convince the public that this law will improve education and will finally give teachers the financial rewards they deserve when his motive is clearly not to improve education but to improve his political aspirations while cementing his political ties to Kasich. Be for or against this issue, but don’t mislead people in a commercial as to why you are for it, if your real reason is to advance your political hopes and dreams in the Republican party.
Secondly, good teachers aren’t teaching to get a bigger pay out; if that was their goal, they would never have gotten into education in the first place. Good teachers teach because they care, and they regularly work hard in order to provide their students with the tools they will need to be successful.
I am so tired of hearing the public sector, who has no inkling of what motiviates teachers, say things like, “you may have to work harder and differentiate yourself at work to be noticed and get the pay raise.” I couldn’t work any harder if I tried, and I don’t put forth my best every day because I expect someone to come along and tell me that I am going to get paid some kind of merit pay because I am doing what I have done all along.
Teachers who are in education to earn merit pay are in it for the wrong reasons, as far as I’m concerned, because education has never and will never be about the money. It’s about having a heart for kids and a desire to help them attain success, and no additional pay check will make a good teacher work harder to have a bigger heart for their kids or a greater desire to see them do well.
The laughable part of this whole merit pay debate is that most schools are struggling so much right now in this economy that there is not enough money in the budget to pay teachers’ salaries anyway. So, with most districts facing huge budget deficits, forcing them to make crippling reductions in staff, where do you think districts will get the money to reward their teachers with merit pay?
Finally, your implication that only teachers who “suck as a teacher” are the ones who are against Issue 2 is as misinformed as it is inflammatory! I am a highly qualified teacher who has an excellent record of student passage on state achievement tests. More importantly, I have inspired my students to reach beyond the comfortable in order to strive for excellence. But I am against Issue 2 because I know what will happen to education when politicians and school boards are making decisions about how schools should operate, and I do not want my right to be represented by my union, who understands the issues teachers face, to be stripped away.
This does not mean that I “suck” as a teacher, nor does it mean that the excellent teachers I work with, who are also against Issue 2, “suck” either. You see, just as you argued for Farmer’s right to decide, we have that same right, great teachers that we are!
@Steve