The 2020 California Tax Grab

By Larry Sand
10/08/2019
Still a year away, Golden Staters brace for a shoot-out with the tax bandits. Like a bad zombie movie where no one really dies, California’s “split roll property tax” is back. The last time it had a heartbeat was in 2015 via the so-called “Make it Fair” initiative, which was headed for the ballot in...

TAGS: California School Boards Association, California Teachers Association, John Fensterwald, Larry Sand, Measure EE, Mike Antonucci, Prop. 13, Richard Rider, split roll, teachers union

Child abuse: Education establishment style

By Larry Sand
09/24/2019
The true believers in the education world, not climate change, are a major threat to children. When I was seven years old, I had a nightmare about witches, and subsequently became convinced that I had an ugly old hag living in my closet. It wasn’t pleasant, but doing a thorough inspection of my entire bedroom,...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, climate change, global warming, Larry Sand, National Education Association, teachers union

Teacher union mandates lead to teacher shortages

By Larry Sand
09/03/2019
The unions treatment of teachers as interchangeable parts does great damage to the education process. In my post last week, I gave ample proof that the claim of a nationwide teacher shortage is bogus. For example, in California, where the  teachers unions insist that teachers are “leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers,” there is no widespread...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Eric Heins, Larry Sand, merit pay, teacher shortage, teachers union

Readin’, writin’, and proselytizin’

By Larry Sand
08/20/2019
More than ever, parents must be vigilant regarding what goes on in their child’s school. It is officially “back to school” season and, thusly, a time to remind parents that they must be very aware of what their kids are learning in school. Though I have written about this subject many times, it cannot be...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

The teachers unions’ spotty progressivism

By Larry Sand
07/30/2019
When it comes to public charter schools and any meaningful education reform, the teachers unions are staunch reactionaries. In the political arena, teachers unions are far to the left. However, when it comes to serious education reform and any kind of school choice, they are committed to maintaining the all-too-often failing status quo. At its...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Ben Austin, Bill de Blasio, California Charter Schools Association, California Teachers Association, Charter schools, Eva Moskowitz, Larry Sand, Myrna Castrejón, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, National Education Association, Nina Rees, Parent Revolution, Randi Weingarten, school choice, teachers union

Charter haters’ train is temporarily derailed in CA

By Larry Sand
06/04/2019
Two bills that would have deeply wounded the popular schools of choice are dead…for now.  Last week, two seemingly sure-shot bills were deep-sixed in the California legislature. AB 1506 would have placed a ceiling on the number of charter schools allowed in the state – the magic number being those in existence at the end...

TAGS: California Charter Schools Association, California Teachers Association, Democrats for Education Reform, Eric Heins, Jay Greene, Larry Sand, Rick Hess, teachers union, Tom Kane

Chartercide in California

By Larry Sand
03/05/2019
California’s teachers unions, a compliant legislature and an anti-choice governor do not bode well for the state’s charter schools. Yet another group of angry teachers has made charter schools the focus of their wrath. The seven-day teacher strike, which ended in Oakland last week, was replete with typical teacher union demands like higher pay and...

TAGS: California Charter School Association, California Teachers Association, Charter schools, David Crane, John Fensterwald, Larry Sand, LAUSD, Myrna Castrejón, teacher strike, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

Union schemes, scams and some pushback

By Larry Sand
02/05/2019
In light of the Janus decision, union rule-rigging and ensuing lawsuits continue.    As the Janus case (which ultimately would give public employees a choice whether or not to pay money to a union as a condition of employment) was headed to the Supreme Court, many unions saw the writing on the wall and cooked...

TAGS: AB 119, American Federation of State, California Policy Center, California Teachers Association, County and Municipal Employees, EdSource, John Fensterwald, Liberty Justice Center, National Right to Work Foundation, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

UTLA’s crisis is here

By Larry Sand
01/01/2019
Union boss’ orchestrated state crisis is well underway in Los Angeles.  United Teachers of Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl’s long sought-after teachers’ strike is set for January 10th. He began the long march back in 2016 when he forecast a walkout and also boasted about the union’s ability to “create a state crisis” in 2018. Though...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, Arlene Inouye, Austin Beutner, California Teachers Association, David Crane, Parent Revolution, Speak Up, teacher strike, United Teachers of Los Angeles

Red teachers/Blue unions

By Larry Sand
10/16/2018
How long will conservative teachers dutifully fund the teacher unions’ leftist political agenda? As I wrote in July, following the Janus decision, teachers unions had two roads to travel. They could become more politically ecumenical as a way to attract teachers who were no longer required to join, or they could continue to do business...

TAGS: California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Daniel DiSalvo, Janus, Josh Pechthalt, Larry Sand, Manhattan Institute, National Education Association, teachers union