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By Larry Sand
01/12/2016
CTA press release reveals the union’s agenda toward education spending…and its utter disregard of reality. Last week California Teachers Association president Eric Heins issued a press release that shows the union’s ignorance – or avoidance – of facts. It begins with, “Educators are encouraged to see the Governor use his proposed state budget and revenues...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, California Teachers Association, Cato Institute, education spending, Eric Heins, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, NAEP, Prop. 30, teachers union

Private v. Big Government-Unionized Schools

By Larry Sand
12/01/2015
If almost half the unionized workers at an auto plant could get a free Chevy as a company perk, but instead bought one made by non-union workers from a different car-maker, what would you think? A few weeks ago, Richard Stutman, head of the Boston Teachers Union, wrote a piece in which he delivered the...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Cato Institute, Fordham Institute, Greg Forster, James Tooley, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, teachers union, The Beautiful Tree

The National Teacher (Union Member) Shortage

By Larry Sand
09/01/2015
NEA/AFT and their friends in the media try to make hay of teacher shortage myth. For years, teachers unions have been moaning that nearly half of all new educators leave the profession within the first five years. They and others have repeated the claim so many times that it has taken on the mantle of...

TAGS: ALEC, American Federation of Teachers, Andrew Coulson, Cato Institute, Indiana State Teachers Association, Koch Brothers, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Council on Teacher Quality, National Education Association, New York Times, Randi Weingarten, teacher shortage, teachers union

Pseudo Studies and Push Polls

By Larry Sand
04/21/2015
Teachers unions turn to “facts” as they desperately cling to their monopolistic, anti-privatization narrative. Last Thursday the “non-partisan” Center for Tax and Budget Accountability rolled out a report that slammed vouchers, claiming that there is “no statistical evidence proving that students who use vouchers perform better than their public school counterparts.” The “study,” as reported...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Bob Peterson, Cato Institute, Center for Popular Democracy, Education Next, Friedman Foundation, Greg Forster, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, No Child Left Behind, Randi Weingarten, school choice, teachers union, vouchers

Happy Sue Year!

By Larry Sand
12/30/2014
The Chinese zodiac is transitioning from “horse” to “sheep,” but in the U.S., where school choice is involved, the species in 2014-2015 is “lawyer.” School choice comes in many flavors, but the privatization kind is the most threatening to various special interests because government-run schools are money-makers and power bases for them. Teachers unions, entrenched...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Cato Institute, education savings account, Florida Education Association, Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, National Education Association, school choice, tax-credit scholarships, teachers union, vouchers, Wisconsin

Antisocial Injustice

By Larry Sand
12/16/2014
A teachers union giving an award for social justice is like Miley Cyrus handing out a medal for modesty. The term “social justice” has gone through many permutations over the centuries, but these days it refers essentially to a progressive vision of the world. Its paramount issues include income inequality, sexual discrimination, the mere existence...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Cato Institute, Dennis Van Roekel, Florida Education Association, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, social justice, teachers union, Washington Teachers Union

Taxpayers, School Choice and the Unions

By Larry Sand
10/07/2014
A new study reveals that vouchers save Americans a bucket load of cash. A blockbuster report released last week shows that the American taxpayer is much better off living in a locale where school vouchers have been instituted. Vouchers, which enable children to use public funding to attend private schools, are available in scattered states...

TAGS: Cato Institute, Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, Greg Forster, Jason Bedrick, Larry Sand, National Education Association, school choice, teachers union, vouchers, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris

The Poor Teacher Canard Redux – Part II

By Larry Sand
08/26/2014
The unions’ effect on teacher pay? Not what you think. Last week, I wrote about the fallacy of the underpaid teacher. When compared to other professions, teachers actually do considerably better when taking into account the various perks they get – generous healthcare and pension packages, etc. But, uninterested in facts, the unions continue to...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, Cato Institute, Fordham Institute, Larry Sand, Michael Lovenheim, Mike Petrilli, National Council on Teacher Quality, teacher pay, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

Teacher Unions and Their “Fair Share” Fetish

By Larry Sand
09/18/2013
According to the California Federation of Teachers, taxed-to-death Golden Staters still don’t pay enough. While teachers unions continue to slam the wealthy for not paying their fair share of taxes, it is the finger-pointers who are really the avaricious ones. Like spoiled children who just can’t get enough candy, they have no sense as to...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Cato Institute, fair share, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, Prop. 30, teachers union

Lowering the Cost of Living is Better than Raising the Minimum Wage

By Mike Shedlock
08/23/2013
Editor’s Note:  This post by Michael Shedlock explains quite well why significantly increasing the minimum wage is a terrible idea. If the union’s new “Fight for Fifteen” (dollars per hour) campaign were successful, it would increase unemployment, and unleash a round of price inflation that would in-turn require government entitlement payments to increase. This is...

TAGS: Cato Institute, Fight for Fifteen, medicaid