I Know Nothing! Nothing!

By Larry Sand
01/28/2014
By meekly surrendering paycheck deductions on a monthly basis, teachers are complicit in their unions’ policy making and politicking. In a great majority of cases across the country, when teachers get work in a public school, they join the teachers union. Or, more accurately, they join three of them. There’s the “local,” whose responsibility is...

TAGS: agency fee payer, Association of American Educators, California Teachers Association, Christian Educators Association International, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, teachers union

The Department of Justice on Student Suspensions

By Larry Sand
01/21/2014
A recent memo accuses educators of racial discrimination while failing, with a few exceptions, to address the real problems. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a series of guidelines regarding the suspension of students from school. In short, though partially correct, the DOJ report is misguided, misleading, and missing key elements relevant...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, City Journal, Larry Sand, National Council on Teacher Quality, National Education Association, racism, RiShawn Biddle, seniority, teachers union, tenure, Vergara v California, zero tolerance

For Whom the Pell Doles

By Larry Sand
01/07/2014
Why are vouchers okay for college students, but not for K-12ers? Recently, the National Education Association posted an interview with Wes Moore on its website. Two boys are named Wes Moore. Both grow up in fatherless homes in Baltimore. Both struggle in school, and run into trouble with the police. But one Wes Moore wins...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Dennis Van Roekel, Friedman Foundation, G.I. Bill, Larry Sand, National Education Association, opportunity scholarships, Paul Ryan, Pell Grant, Randi Weingarten, school choice, vouchers

Union Blather and Students Matter

By Larry Sand
12/10/2013
National Education Association new “reform” document is free of substance. Apparently threatened by the education reform movement taking hold across the country, the National Education Association has decided to join the party. In concert with six other organizations – including the American Federation of Teachers – the biggest union in the country has released “Excellent...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Finland, John Fensterwald, Larry Sand, National Education Association, seniority, Students Matter, teachers union, tenure, Vergara v California

Michigan: One Year Later

By Larry Sand
12/03/2013
Teachers union is desperate to hold onto every last unwilling member. A year after Michigan became the country’s 24th right-to-work state, teachers are finding that their union resembles a Roach Motel – it’s real easy to get in, but getting out can be a mother. Just ask Miriam Chanski, a 24 year-old Kindergarten teacher who...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Bob Chanin, collective bargaining, George Orwell, Larry Sand, Mackinac Center, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, National Labor Relations Board, Right to Work, teachers union

Corporate Screed

By Larry Sand
11/26/2013
American Federation of Teachers led “National Day of Action” is a clear indicator that teachers unions are losing clout. On December 9th, we will be treated to the “National Day of Action,” a day cooked up by the American Federation of Teachers and supported by the National Education Association and various fellow travelers. After reading...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Anthony Cody, Bill Gates, Eli Broad, Larry Sand, National Education Association, RiShawn Biddle, teachers unions

Unions and Obamacare, Part 2: How Unions Got Obamacare Passed

By Steven Allen
11/15/2013
Unions were at the forefront in the desperate campaign for Obamacare. The organization “Health Care for America Now!” included some 1,030 organizations and was the principal coalition working to pass the program. HCAN’s 20-member steering committee included the AFL-CIO, the Communication Workers of America, the teachers’ unions (both the National Education Association and the American...

TAGS: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, American Federation of Teachers, George Soros, National Education Association, seiu

Getting Criminals Out of Schools

By Larry Sand
11/05/2013
A new bill would keep pedophiles and violent criminals out of our schools; teachers unions balk. California law firm decides to try an end run. A couple of weeks ago in Washington, D.C., the House of Representatives passed a bill by a simple voice vote, which stipulated that public schools would be barred from employing...

TAGS: AFT, Alex Padilla, American Federation of Teachers, LA School Report, Larry Sand, National Education Association, NEA, Randi Weingarten, SB 1530, teachers union