Don’t Buy NEA Snake Oil

By Larry Sand
07/24/2012
The teachers union uses bogus numbers to con the public into believing that education needs more funding. The National Education Association is relentless in its quest to raise taxes. In its latest gambit — “Massive Budget Cuts Threaten America’s Children” — the union claims that “…America’s schools have added 5.4 million students since 2003.” The...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, education spending, Eric Hanushek, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, teachers union

National Education Association Admits Things Will Never Be the Same

By Larry Sand
07/10/2012
The nation’s biggest union finds itself in a big hole and keeps digging. In his excellent book, Special Interest: Teachers Unions and Americas Public Schools, published a little more than a year ago, Terry Moe posited that the teachers unions would meet their end via two routes – Democrats joining Republicans, thus making education reform...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Citizens United, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Dennis Van Roekel, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, SB 1530, teachers union, Terry Moe, vouchers

The Battle of Wisconsin

By Larry Sand
06/12/2012
Governor Walker’s victory on June 5th was crucial, but the war is far from over. Just a week ago, Scott Walker survived a recall, beating back the rapacious efforts of the National Education Association and its state affiliate, the Wisconsin Education Association (WEAC) to recall the Wisconsin governor who had the moxie to work with...

TAGS: Act 10, collective bargaining, Dennis Van Roekel, Mike Antonucci, National Education Association, Scott Walker, teachers union, Wisconsin Education Association Council

Responding to Romney’s Critics

By Larry Sand
06/06/2012
Regarding education reform, Romney needs to pound on the facts, leaving his detractors to pound on the table. Recently Mitt Romney laid out his education vision in a speech at the Latino Coalition’s annual economic summit in Washington D.C. The Republican candidate for president didn’t mince words. He said that we are in the midst...

TAGS: Eric Hanushek, Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, Greg Forster, Jay Mathews, Lindsey Burke, No Child Left Behind, Randi Weingarten, small class size, teachers union

CTA: Politically Correct, Clueless and Shameless

By Larry Sand
05/29/2012
Recently dubbed “the worst union in America,” the California Teachers Association does its best to live down to its new moniker. Troy Senik’s “The Worst Union in America,” is a deadly accurate piece which appears in the Spring 2012 edition of City Journal. Not surprisingly, the author was referring to the California Teachers Association, the...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Darren Miller, Dean Vogel, Jerry Brown, teachers union, Troy Senik

School Choice: Time to Move Forward

By Larry Sand
02/28/2012
As evidence mounts that the government/union education monopoly is failing our children, 2012 should see ramped up efforts to advance school choice. Last week, Education Week published “What Research Says About School Choice,” in which nine scholars analyze the results of various studies concerning “school choice” – the quaint notion that parents should be able...

TAGS: California Charter School Association, California Teachers Association, National School Choice Week, Parent Trigger, school choice, teachers union

The Brazen Hypocrisy of the Teachers Unions

By Larry Sand
02/14/2012
When teachers unions wear their duplicity like a bright red bandana, it shows the whole world what they really are about. Last week, New Jersey Education Association Executive Director Vincent Giordano, who makes over $500,000 a year in salary and assorted perks, shoved his foot in his mouth big time. Appearing on “New Jersey Capitol...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Chris Christie, Kyle Olson, National Education Association, Occupy Wall Street, school choice, teachers union

Bad Signs at the SOS March

By Larry Sand
08/02/2011
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” – William Butler Yeats “You can’t light a fire in an empty bucket” – Larry Sand The Save Our Schools March, Rally and Pity Party went off as planned in D.C. this past weekend, although on a smaller scale than the organizers had anticipated. They...

TAGS: seniority, SOS March, standardized testing, teachers union