"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

NEA Joins Corporate Raiding Party on Public Education

The nation’s largest teachers’ union and two leading business groups said today they have become partners in the work of a blue-ribbon commission trying to revolutionize American education.

The announcement by the 3.2 million-member National Education Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers marks the next step in taking the ideas in a high-profile December 2006 report, “Tough Choices or Tough Times,” from proposals to practice. The report, by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, called for sweeping, systemic changes in education funding, assessment, school management, and teacher pay and training. ( "U.S. Urged to Reinvent Its Schools," Dec. 20, 2006.)

At a news conference here, leaders of the National Center on Education and the Economy , which sponsored the commission, also said that Arizona, Delaware, and New Mexico would begin the planning required to rework aspects of their education systems to reflect the commission’s framework. In doing so, the new states join Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Utah, which signed on to do likewise in October. . . .

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:05 PM

    As an NEA member I condemn the participation of my union.

    Unacceptable.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:22 AM

    How can Obama really be in support of Labor Unions and have this vile, ripe-for-privatization, Corporarte-rigged, Public School policy?

    I'd love to ask his Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis, what SHE thinks of Obama's Ed policy---Even though it's not her area, she IS a strong champion
    of Unions.

    There's no way she actually likes this misguided policy and what it does to Unions, students, parents, and teachers.

    If Obama actually likes labor unions,
    as he implies,
    then his Pub Ed policy is demonstrating that
    Obama may have an inner, deep-seated desire to HURT the things he likes/loves.

    What else am I to think at this point?

    -nikto

    ReplyDelete