Protection of a Few to Benefit the Majority

In the spirit of taking some one's blog and expanding it further, I would like to add to Mary's blog "Do Teacher's Union Promote Slackers?" It is not a new idea by any means that veteran teachers are hard to fire, and the protections set up by unions many times enable these situations to perpetuate. However, to blame the mediocrity of a small group of people on an established organization, seems to me, overzealous. The idea of professionalism and work ethic are intrinsic characteristics that are governed by an individual's dedication to their career. No union is telling a person what kind of worker they going to be, those traits have long been established within their psyche long before they were ever concerned with any union. In the Plain Dealer's article, as with many news outlets, when a view is being expressed, it is often to one particular extreme.
People are frustrated. Parents want the best education for their child, but are hindered by what local schools can offer. Teachers (I believe, on the majority) want to provide the best education possible for students, but are tied to testing and lack of funding and support. Administration wants to see their schools thrive but hindered by test scores and bureaucracy. We need a scapegoat and the Plain Dealer article provides that. Are teachers really "entrenched in mediocrity," or are they imprisoned by, it due to all the before mentioned factors?
Unions are in place to protect the rights of teachers. I am sure that there is corruption and I am sure there are many instances where teachers who "don't care" are able to keep their jobs due to those protections. However, I also know, first hand, that a teacher union protected me from false and biased accusations from my administration. It was through its direction and support that my rights were defended, fairly and justly. Perhaps there are many complaints about teachers who don't care and how unions protect them, but I believe that even if a small minority receive unfair "protection" from unions, there is a larger majority, who do care, who do give all that they have every day, to every student, that undoubtedly benefit from teacher's unions. It is time we start taking responsibility for ourselves. If you want to leave that meeting at the time that is stated on your contract that's fine, but I am pretty sure the union president wasn't the one who made you get out of that chair and walk out the door, were they?