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

Monday, July 04, 2011

If NEA and AFT Gave $1 Per Member to the Save Our Schools Rally

Millions of teachers pay hundreds of millions in union dues each year so that bosses, Dennis and Randi (along with their posses of lawyers), can sit with the Political Elites and Oligarchs as they perfect their plans to deskill and deprofessionize teaching, corporatize public schools, reduce resources by hooking children up to computers, and to generally create paper unions that serve the needs of the Oligarchs.

A great example of the doubletalk duplicity and cowardice can be found, or not found, rather, on NEA and AFT websites.  Each organization has purportedly endorsed the upcoming parent and teacher march and conference in DC July 28-31, but how would the millions of teacher members know, even if they scoured AFT's or NEA's websites?  Not a mention, anywhere.

Imagine if NEA and AFT actually publicized their endorsement and gave a fifth of a penny of every dollar they collect from members in dues to transport teachers to DC for this march?  That would amount to about one dollar for every member, or about $4 million.

But then, imagine 4 million members deciding to demand that the best way to be at the decision-making table of the Oligarchs is not to be waiter or the busman, or to shine the shoes of Gates and Broad and the Waltons as they feast.  Imagine, too, if 4 million members decided to make a table based on the principles of a democratic republic, rather than a banana one.

Today Save Our Schools is trying to raise $5,000 to cover expenses for putting together the Washington event.  This is coffee change for Dennis and Randi.  Where is their support?

Here's where the support is.  Just an example: Bill Gates bought his keynote address spot at AFT's Convention last year with a $217,000 grant to AFT a month before the convention. This was followed by another grant as the convention hats were being handed out in July 2010 of $3,421,725 to induce agreement among AFT affiliates with the Oligarchs' agenda.

Do you think AFT could afford to help Save our Schools to come up with $5,000 for poster board?

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