Larry Sand

Larry Sand, a former classroom teacher, is the president of the non-profit California Teachers Empowerment Network – a non-partisan, non-political group dedicated to providing teachers and the general public with reliable and balanced information about professional affiliations and positions on educational issues.

Latest by Larry Sand

The hundred-year road to CRT

A brief look at the progressive agenda in education reveals that Critical Race Theory is just the latest in a long series of attempts to deform and ultimately fracture the country.

By Larry Sand

The annual teacher shortage canard

Despite our ever-changing world, there are some annual events we can all count on: the earth will circle the sun, Christmas will be celebrated December 25th, and the California legislature will raise taxes on its citizens. And we can now add that list – howling from the media and the teachers unions that America has...

By Larry Sand

Defective bargaining

A challenger for governor of California could radically improve education with one executive order. In a recent opinion piece in The Epoch Times, veteran writer John Seiler put forth a set of strategies for a Republican to beat California Governor Gavin Newsom in the state’s September 14th recall election. Among other things, he suggests that...

By Larry Sand

Masking students and unmasking the radical agenda

The decision to mask and indoctrinate school children in California has been left to local school districts. The new school year is still weeks away in California, but summer break has hardly been a carefree romp on the beach. On July 12th, the California Department of Public Health, ignoring CDC guidance, announced that all students...

By Larry Sand

Confronting Randi’s twaddle

After insisting that Critical Race Theory is not being taught in k-12 schools, Randi Weingarten – teacher union boss and gaslighter extraordinaire – has ceded any right to be taken seriously. Randi Weingarten, the gaffe-prone president of the American Federation of Teachers has outdone herself, and that isn’t easy. In a series of seven open...

By Larry Sand

Decolonizing the curriculum, confronting white nationalism and combatting period poverty

At its yearly convention, the National Education Association advanced its political agenda, while doing nothing to address America’s failing public schools. “When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children,” a quote attributed to teacher union godfather Albert Shanker, has become lore. While it is doubtful he...

By Larry Sand

Major education realignment in the works?

Schools are out for summer, and the fall holds many questions for education in America. According to data released by Education Week, America’s government-run schools lost almost 1.3 million students this year. (Delaware, Illinois, and North Carolina didn’t supply enrollment statistics, so the true number is probably somewhat higher.) The downtick was due to the...

By Larry Sand

Canceling Critical Race Theory

As states pass laws disallowing the teaching of the bogus and downright harmful Critical Race Theory, its proponents erroneously claim they are being censored. Just four weeks ago, I wrote about the beginnings of a resistance to the teaching of Critical Race Theory, which is Marxist in nature, and asserts that the U.S. is systemically...

By Larry Sand

LAUSD schools to open amid much controversy

After failing its students miserably and beset with litigation, the misbegotten Los Angeles school district is now being accused of systemic racism. With Los Angeles school superintendent Austin Beutner getting ready for his June 30th retirement, and the realization that schools must open full time or lose substantial state funding, the L.A. school board and...

By Larry Sand

UTLA representatives endorse BDS movement

L.A. teachers union joins their brethren in S.F. to denounce Israel. As I mentioned in last week’s post, the United Educators of San Francisco declared its solidarity with the Palestinian people by supporting the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel. The union also called for President Biden to stop aid to Israel, but after...

By Larry Sand

Sad Francisco

The charming city by the Bay has some serious edu-warts that need to be excised. San Francisco is a magical city. My first visit there was in 1969 as a New York city college kid on winter break, and I was enthralled. I was there again in 1996 on my honeymoon, and several times since,...

By Larry Sand

CRT: Critical Race Theory or Crazy Radical Tantrums?

Whatever you call it, there’s a culture war being waged, and the citizenry is fighting back. Just four weeks ago, I wrote about the rising resistance to the woke craze and Critical Race Theory, and much has transpired since then. Here in California, even Disneyland has not been spared the wrath of the crazies. On...

By Larry Sand

Oy vey, Randi!

Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series of missives to Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. The first six can be accessed here. Oy vey, old friend! As you well know, I have written several heartfelt emails to you over the years, pointing out my concern over many of the...

By Larry Sand

Science with the union label

Despite the reopening happy talk, more than half of all California’s k-12 students remain in distance learning. While schools in California have reopened, a study by EdSource reveals that 55 percent of all public school students in California have not returned to their physical classroom. And just 13 percent of all students in the Golden...

By Larry Sand