Throw billions of dollars at school districts in California, and what do you expect?

A group called Reopen California Schools got access to online memos from teachers' unions in California and discovered that in some districts, enriching their members weighs heavier on their priorities than, say, PPE equipment or programs to help children recover from their prolonged absence from the classrooms.  Here is what the teachers' union in Dublin, Calif., a well-to-do suburb east of San Francisco, is discussing:

CA school district (@DublinUSD) is paying its teachers $2,500 bonuses with state and federal aide money, even suggesting staff could use the money for a trip to Hawaii (see c. and d.)

This comes despite the sad hybrid plan approved before any aid bills were passed.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/ilSOPj4wWQ

— Reopen California Schools (@ReopenCASchools) March 14, 2021

Here is a portion of the graphic revealing the priority given to childcare for the children of teachers, trips to Hawaii, and the concern that it looks bad for teachers to move to the front of the line for vaccination and still refuse to do their jobs.

Source.

A spokesman for the union attempted damage control, speaking to the UK Daily Mail:

Robbie Kreitz, speaking on behalf of the teacher's union, told DailyMail.com that item listed in the internal memo was 'taken out of context.' 

'We have been laser focused on bargaining for the safe return to campus for all Dublin students. In fact we return to the table tomorrow to continue that work,' Kreitz said.

'The comment you are referencing was on an internal DTA member communication and was taken out of context.'

Kreitz added: 'It was quite clear that we are bargaining for the stipend to be used for the first three items on the list including the weekend time for preparation to return, safety equipment needed to return and support of childcare for those children who have not returned to campus.'

'Item D not only does not connect to those, it was simply a playful comment not connected to the first three on the list on an internal communication to DTA members.'

How about the context that children have been denied education and socialization while teachers never missed a paycheck, and now they are enriching themselves and joking about luxury vacations?

The Dublin teachers' union has company.  The San Juan School District is outside Sacramento:

This one gives 1% of base pay, including to the superintendent. Teachers get an extra $500 stipend. https://t.co/CLHum4hnRr

— Reopen California Schools (@ReopenCASchools) March 14, 2021

Clovis is a suburb of Fresno, where the school district is by far the largest employer:

This is the craziest one I’ve seen so far, $6K proposed bonus! https://t.co/XNsEm8G2Ms

— Reopen California Schools (@ReopenCASchools) March 14, 2021

My hope is that the unions have lost public confidence, and their greed and their refusal to go back to teaching — at enormous cost to the mental and emotional health of children, not to mention them falling behind on learning — will result on much more support for vouchers and homeschooling from taxpayers.

Teaching by its nature should be an idealistic profession, and I am sure there are still many teachers worthy of that label.  But the unions and the education bureaucrats operate out of self-interest, with no apparent concern for the welfare of the children they are entrusted with.