Union “Hubrocrisy”

By Larry Sand
07/29/2014
Teachers unions reside at the corner of Hubris St. and Hypocrisy Ave.  A few days ago, Politico’s Stephanie Simon wrote about a new teachers union get-out-the-vote strategy. Attempting to regain some of their political turf as the midterm elections approach, they’re fighting back by utilizing their most obvious asset: teachers. Backed by tens of millions...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Citizens United, Larry Sand, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, teachers union

Social(ism) Justice Lessons

By Larry Sand
07/22/2014
Teacher union progressives seek to socialize our country, but the Koch brothers have other plans. The recent teacher union conventions were full of self-pity, angst and anger over the Vergara and Harris legal decisions. Unfortunately that’s not all they concerned themselves with. The union avatars explored various progressive schemes with the intention of dragging us...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, American Federation of Teachers, Harris v. Quinn, Joy Resmovits, Koch Brothers, Larry Sand, Randi Weingarten, social justice, socialism, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, Vergara v California

Keeping Their Backs Up and Claws Sharp

By Larry Sand
07/15/2014
As the teachers unions lose popularity, some think that they will soften their positions. But as recent events show, this is very far from the truth. A poll taken in June, right after the Vergara decision was handed down in Los Angeles, found that 49 percent of California voters think that teachers unions have a...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Arne Duncan, Democrats for Education Reform, Dennis Van Roekel, Education Next, Gloria Romero, Harris v. Quinn, Joe Williams, Larry Sand, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, Terry Moe, Vergara

Will the Supreme Court Do an “Abood Face?”

By Larry Sand
07/08/2014
The decision in Harris v Quinn could be just the first shoe to drop in the fight against forced union dues. Last month was not kind to Big Labor. First, the teachers unions in California had some of their favorite work rules knocked out of the state constitution by Judge Rolf Treu in his Vergara...

TAGS: Abood, agency fee, American Federation of Teachers, big labor, California Teachers Association, Center for Individual Rights, collective bargaining, Dennis Van Roekel, fair share, Harris v. Quinn, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, Rebecca Friedrichs, Samuel Alito, Service Employees International Union, Supreme Court, teachers unions, Vergara

Post-Vergara Rumblings

By Larry Sand
07/01/2014
The Vergara decision is three weeks old – and due to the teachers unions’ appeal, nothing has changed. Or has it? Because Judge Rolf Treu has placed a stay on his Vergara ruling pending the outcome of the teachers unions’ appeal, the tenure, seniority and dismissal statutes are still alive and well in California. However,...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Campbell Brown, Dennis Van Roekel, Larry Sand, last in first out, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, New York State United Teachers, Randi Weingarten, Rolf Treu, seniority, teachers union, tenure, Vergara

Dear Randi,

By Larry Sand
06/17/2014
You seem to be very unhappy lately, but cheer up – things aren’t nearly as bad as you think!  In your recent foray into BuzzFeed, you seemed a bit verklempt (for you non-Yids, that means overwrought) and I would like to help you feel better! Regarding Common Core, the piece reads: ‘The right’s vitriol is...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Common Core, crony capitalism, Democracy Alliance, John Stocks, Karen Lewis, Koch Brothers, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, Tea Party, teachers union, Tom Steyer

Staples Removers

By Larry Sand
05/27/2014
Not content with stifling education reform and school choice, teachers unions have a new target. Dang! The teachers unions have been busier than ever lately. Trying to kill charter schools in California. Fighting teacher evaluations in Florida. Demonizing vouchers, well, everywhere. But now the unions’ have a new bête-noire: Staples. Staples? Yes, Staples. The troubled...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, Josh Pechthalt, Larry Sand, monopoly, teachers union

The Teachers Unions’ "Brown" Problem

By Larry Sand
05/20/2014
When it comes to education and civil rights, NEA and AFT are part of the problem; the solution is choice. Last Saturday was the 60th anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education decision, which outlawed state-sponsored segregation in schools. Never missing an opportunity to grandstand, the teachers unions groused all last week about various...

TAGS: ALEC, American Federation of Teachers, Dennis Van Roekel, Friedman Foundation, Greg Forster, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, school choice, teachers union, vouchers

Charter Schools: Reinventing Public Education

By R. Claire Friend
05/14/2014
The destiny of a nation lies in the education of its youth. Both Jesus and Hitler understood that society is shaped by its children, for better or worse. In this country, the commitment of public education to social indoctrination of our youth instead of education has helped determine the downward trajectory of the American Republic....

TAGS: A Nation at Risk, American Federation of Teachers

Public Pension Solvency Requires Asset Bubbles

By Edward Ring
04/29/2014
The title of this post expresses what is probably the greatest example of a monstrous hypocrisy – that public employee unions, and the pension funds they control, are supposedly helping the American economy, and protecting the American people from “the bankers.” Overpriced “bubble” assets caused by banks offering low interest rates hurt ordinary working people...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, CalPERS, CalSTRS, low interest rates, pension funds, Public sector pensions