Statement by Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll On Anticipated Boston Public Schools Teacher Strike:

MALDEN - "The expected strike by Boston public school teachers can only be described as destructive and self serving. It's illegal for teachers to strike and there' s a reason for that: in education, the needs of the children have to come first.

As history has shown, a strike is likely to result in little - if any - gain for the union members. What it will do is unfairly disrupt the continuity of educational services, and set a poor example for the nearly 60,000 students in the Boston Public Schools.

Too often educators are criticized for putting themselves before their students. In my experience, the vast majority of teachers do the exact opposite, spending nights, weekends and summers grading papers, writing curricula and taking courses to improve their skills. I hope that this Thursday the Boston Public School teachers remember to put the kids first, stand up to their union's misguided leadership, and refuse to strike."