NEA’s defective election reflections

By Larry Sand
11/13/2018
Teachers union wants us to believe that it won big on Election Day…in spite of the facts. On November 7th, the National Education Association proclaimed “Voters deliver big wins for public education.” The union insisted that Election Day saw pro-education candidates sweep into office at every level of government. NEA President Lily Eskelsen García was...

TAGS: #RedforED, Alexander Russo, Larry Sand, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, teachers union

The charter school haters dig in

By Larry Sand
10/23/2018
The education traditionalists’ attacks on parental choice are unrelenting. All across Texas, children are hoping to get into a charter school. In San Antonio alone, 40,000 families await the chance to pick a school that best fits the needs of their child. Nationally, over 3 million students now attend these schools of choice, which get...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, California Charter School Association, charter school, Diane Ravitch, In the Public Interest, James Shuls, Larry Sand, Lisa Snell, National Education Association, school choice, teachers union, 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

The union as management

By Larry Sand
09/11/2018
“It files unfair labor practice charges and restraining orders. Circumvents the other side’s negotiators. Threatens to replace employees who go on strike. Cuts off employee health insurance coverage. Crosses picket lines.” Written by Mike Antonucci in 2004, the above does not refer to some greedy capitalist business enterprise, but rather to state affiliates of the...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Florida Education Association, Janus decision, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, teachers union, Troy Senik

Kavan-awesome

By Larry Sand
09/04/2018
With the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings underway, the unions are very jumpy.  Did you know that the U.S. Supreme Court is there to protect the little guy and minorities, uphold women’s rights, and destroy school choice? That’s according to the make-it-up-as-you-go-along left, including the teachers unions. In reality, the job of a SCOTUS...

TAGS: American Federation of State, American Federation of Teachers, Betsy DeVos, County and Municipal Employees, Donald Trump, Larry Sand, Lee Saunders, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, Mark Janus, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, school choice, Supreme Court, teachers union, vouchers, Walter Williams, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris

School choice matters

By Larry Sand
08/21/2018
From Puerto Rico to Los Angeles, teachers unions still try to deny parental choice at every turn. In March, six months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island’s lawmakers approved a bill that offered parents school choice options, including vouchers and charter schools. Hardly radical, the voucher program was capped at 3 percent of...

TAGS: American Federation for Children, American Federation of Teachers, EdChoice, Larry Sand, National Education Association, Network for Public Education, Randi Weingarten, teacher strike, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

Why Teachers Unions are the Worst of the Worst

By Edward Ring
08/01/2018
When considering the influence of unions on American society, there are vast differences depending on what type of union one considers. Private sector unions, for all the criticisms they may deserve, have nonetheless played a vital role in securing rights for the American worker. Subject to appropriate regulations, private sector unions have the opportunity to...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, National Education Association, teachers union

The other (left) shoe has dropped

By Larry Sand
07/24/2018
The choice between unions becoming more ecumenical or more radical has been made. In the run-up to the Janus decision, some thought a victory for the plaintiff would lead to the teachers unions becoming more politically balanced by embracing at least some conservative candidates and causes as a way to ensure the uninterrupted flow of...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, Bernie Sanders, California Teachers Association, Chicago Teachers Union, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Janus v. AFSCME, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, National Education Association, socialism, teachers union

No dues without political representation

By Larry Sand
07/10/2018
Dissident educators have the power to change the course of teacher union politics in California. A few years back I was on a panel with then California Teachers Association President Dean Vogel, who mentioned during his talk that about 35 percent of his union’s membership was Republican which is roughly the way the rest of...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Daniel DiSalvo, Dean Vogel, Eric Heins, Gavin Newsom, Janus v. AFSCME, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, political spending, teachers union, union dues

The Janus victory and ongoing whine festival

By Larry Sand
07/03/2018
The Abood decision has been overturned and its mourners are beside themselves.  The hysterical reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision in the Janus v. AFSCME case, which frees public employees in 22 states from having to pay any money to a union as a condition of employment, has Chicken Little nodding in solidarity. As...

TAGS: AFSCME, Alex Caputo-Pearl, American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Chicago Teachers Union, Janus v. AFSCME, Jesse Sharkey, Larry Sand, LAUSD, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, Randi Weingarten, seiu, stare decisis, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles