LEONARDTOWN, Md. – Teachers and support staff in St. Mary’s County Public Schools are taking their frustrations over school funding out on students by refusing to participate in after school activities, from issuing homework to coaching sports or advising student programs.

Leaders of the Education Association of St. Mary’s and the Collective Education Association of St. Mary’s, which represent teachers and support staff, announced this week they will be forcing their work-to-rule protest on students when classes start Aug. 20, The Bay Net reports.

The toddler-like temper tantrum is meant to pressure school officials into awarding raises for school employees the district can’t afford. District officials have cut the number of paraeducators in the district and are struggling to plug a budget shortfall brought on by rising medical insurance expenses for school employees, according to the news site.

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A survey of school employees shows 77 percent of teachers and 66 percent of support staff plan to participate in the union attack on students, according to figures provided by the unions. EASMC President Anna Laughlin told the news site that teachers do what they do because they love their jobs, and want to serve students with excellence, “Yet teachers and support professionals need to be able to care for themselves and their families as they care for St. Mary’s County’s children,” The Bay Net reports.

The most obvious question: If teachers want to serve students with excellence, why on earth would they refuse to issue and grade homework, or work with struggling students after school?

Seventh Grade Social Sciences teacher Sean Sayers, who is credited with masterminding the work-to-rule protest, answered that question quite bluntly: “We (the teachers) are going to put ourselves and our families first,” he told The Bay Net.

Ironically, teachers who attended the union press briefing announcing the self-serving protest acknowledged that educators in the district are given 45 minutes during the school day to grade homework, meaning the work-to-rule plan may actually violate the union’s contract with the district.

Perhaps the most offensive development, however, is that “During the news briefing a statement was read from St. Mary’s County Council of PTAs President Lorie Joy in support of the actions by the two unions,” the news site reports.

In other words, St. Mary’s unions have either convinced at least some parents that their refusal to do their jobs is somehow in students’ best interests, or that the St. Mary’s PTA organization is more interested in promoting the union cause than standing up for parents.

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Either way, the union campaign will only erode student learning in the district, despite assurances from  that teachers and other school employees are “committed to ensuring high quality instruction and service in the assignments we have been hired to do,” Laughlin said.

“However, (the union protest) means those who elect to participate will not accept or be part of assignments for extra duties that are not directly related to instruction or their primary assignment,” she said.

It’s a very selfish position, especially considering the community’s perspective on the teaching staff. Sayers told the news site that many in the community already feel like teachers are overpaid and have easy hours.

This stupid temper tantrum will only help to reinforce that stereotype.