Vol. 11, No. 8
UNIONS
BE NICE?? That's what the union wants KIPP to be - Nice. In the opinion of the American Federation of Teachers, "nice" means giving them what they want, regardless of whether it's good for kids. Through its NYC affiliate, AFT has launched a campaign to pressure the leadership of KIPP AMP Academy's Brooklyn campus to accept the union as the leader of its teachers. KIPP hasn't moved to recognize the union, so its leaders are striking back.
Be Nice, they say in a new PR campaign. It's a clever turn of phrase on the motto of the Knowledge is Power Program, the nationwide network that has re-educated thousands of children nationwide who had been failed miserably by conventional public schools... But they are missing something. Work Hard, is how the motto begins. Work Hard, Be Nice. The two phrases go together. Deliberately. That's what the teachers who now want a break signed up to do - Work Hard. We wonder - is it nice to take a job in a school that you know requires long hours and arduous work, and then go behind the backs of your leadership and fellow teachers and ask a militant national union to come in and rob children of the first opportunity they've ever had to learn? As the founder of the union running the Be Nice campaign once said, "When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children." That's the reality everyone needs to understand. This is about dues, not kids. And that's the part that's not nice. Read the rest on Edspresso...
SCORE ANOTHER. We can only imagine what the scoreboard at union HQ looks like. The Philadelphia Inquirer tells us today that "16 of the 26 teachers at the [Philly-based] Wakisha Charter School have voted to be represented by ... the Alliance of Charter School Employees, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania." So the AFT's move into yet another charter proves its long-standing effort is coming to fruition. In this volatile economy, job security is a concern, especially to teachers whose profession has long been one that affords job security. Sadly, the education delivered by a unionized, inner city school doesn't compare to the education one receives when educators and school leaders have the freedom and the accountability to innovate.
CHOICE
THIS IS CHANGE? Senator Dick Durbin's (D-IL) appropriation bill calls for a back-door end to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. By requiring the anti-choice city council to authorize its existence, Durbin and his colleagues know they are putting an end to the much-needed program of opportunities for children. Republican Minority Leader John Boehner cried foul, pointing out that "The D.C. school choice program has provided hope for thousands of low-income children in the District of Columbia since it was established, and has been demonstrating results when it comes to parental satisfaction and increased parental involvement. Eliminating this program would represent an irresponsible and shameful act."
THE BRITS HAVE IT. Who could have guessed that one of the most compelling arguments for school choice - and one of the most pointed arguments against unions - would come from a British sitcom? In this 1987 installment of "Yes, Prime Minister", the PM is consulting the Education Minister on his new school reforms. How's this for a pitch-perfect BLOB argument against school choice?: "You can't expect parents to make these choices. How on earth would parents know which schools are best?"
NATIONAL SCENE
NO EVASION LEFT BEHIND. On at least two occasions (MSNBC and C-SPAN) in the last week, Sec. Duncan has been asked for his thoughts on No Child Left Behind. Each answer is logical, perceptive, even good-natured, but nothing is revealed. Falling back on the stimulus bill and his plans for an upcoming NCLB listening tour, the Secretary artfully dodges what was once considered to be the looming battle of his tenure. With all the money being doled out in the coming months, perhaps the Secretary should consider what nationally syndicated journalist Juan Williams says about federal accountability: "Without the national government holding itself accountable for educating American children, the drive to reform will stall."
ED IS MIA AT NGA. This past weekend saw the National Governor's Association gathered for their annual Winter Meeting in order to discuss the important issues facing America. Healthcare? Check. Industry? Check. Energy? Check. Education? Education? Anyone? Education? Oops. It seems as though the schooling of our next generation of healthcare workers, engineers and industrial giants was left off the agenda (again). The Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee did meet, but it focused on "upskilling American workers." Maybe next time...
PAYBACK TIME? That could be one reason governors like Ohio's Ted Strickland continue to push back on education reform. Governor Strickland is once again trying to reward the unions for their long-standing devotion by putting Ohio charters back on the chopping block. While claiming he is a supporter, Strickland says that only certain kinds of charters should be allowed to operate and all of them should lose 20 percent of their funds (because he likes them that much). As the Cleveland Plain Dealer puts it, "Any attack against charter schools is sure to warm the hearts of teachers unions, a powerful constituency with little love for non-union competitors.... Passage of this plan will pummel Ohio's charter schools out of existence, and the main victims will be poor..." Contact Ohio lawmakers today to voice your opposition to the Governor's treatment of charter schools in The Buckeye State.
