The delightfully, annoyingly persistent Rebecca Friedrichs

By Larry Sand
11/20/2018
In Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers’ Unions for the Heart and Soul of Our Kids and Country, teacher, wife, mother, devout Christian and Supreme Court plaintiff Rebecca Friedrichs (David) has written an informative, enjoyable and, at times, infuriating book in which she weaves revelations about her humble roots, marriages, problems with...

TAGS: Antonin Scalia, Janus v. AFSCME, Larry Sand, Rebecca Friedrichs, teachers union

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

An open letter to Randi Weingarten

By Larry Sand
11/06/2018
This is the fourth in a series of missives to the president of the American Federation of Teachers. (The first three can be accessed here, here and here.)  My Dear Randi, It has been a while! I hope you are well, though I suspect recent events have you a bit off-kilter or even a tad...

TAGS: AFSCME, American Federation of Teachers, Center for American Progress, Education Next, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, NEA, Randi Weingarten, school choice, seiu, teachers union, vouchers

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

Janus: Hysteria, reality and foggy windows

By Larry Sand
10/09/2018
The Janus case, which gave public employees a choice whether or not to join a union, elicited apocalyptic proclamations, but the reality – thus far – has been quite different. “I listened as the right wing launched attack after attack on unions and on what collective bargaining gains for working people, those they serve and...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Claudia Briggs, Educators for Excellence, Eric Heins, Freedom Foundation, Janus, Larry Sand, Mackinac Center, Michigan Education Association, Randi Weingarten, teachers union, Tom Gantert

Public education defunding drivel

By Larry Sand
10/02/2018
The teachers unions and their allies demand more and more, and still more money for education. In a recent New York Times piece, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten warned us about “The high cost of defunding public education.” Her standard issue whine starts off with the Time Magazine front-page story (which I wrote...

TAGS: Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, American Federation of Teachers, Andrew Coulson, Benjamin Scafidi, Jason Richwine, Just Facts, Larry Sand, Randi Weingarten, teachers union

The endless teacher salary lies

By Larry Sand
09/25/2018
Using the “pay penalty” canard, the education establishment enflames teacher anger and accords them victim status. “‘I Work 3 Jobs and Donate Blood Plasma to Pay the Bills.’ This Is What It’s Like to Be a Teacher in America” begs for your sympathy. Then, of course, you are supposed to get righteously angry! But looking...

TAGS: Act 10, Barbara Biasi, Benjamin Scafidi, Cato Institute, Economic Policy Institute, EdChoice, free market, Larry Sand, Lee Saunders, Nick Gillespie, Randi Weingarten, Richard Trumka, Robert Enlow, Scott Walker, teachers union

The looming apocalypse in California

By Larry Sand
09/18/2018
The “state crisis” threatened by Los Angeles teacher union boss two years ago is upon us. In two recent posts, I detailed the United Teachers of Los Angeles contract demands on the school district and reported that a strike was likely. And of late, the situation has gone from bad to dire. Perhaps the biggest...

TAGS: Alex Caputo-Pearl, George McKenna, Larry Sand, Los Angeles Unified School District, Nick Melvoin, Richard Vladovic, teacher pay, teacher strike, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles

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