Posted on 11/09/2005 4:54:12 PM PST by doug from upland
NOTE: this is the first in a series of posts in which we will discuss concrete steps to do battle with and ultimately substantially defund teachers unions. These unions are clearly a subsidiary of the DemocRATic Party, and they are a big part of what is wrong with public education.
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Proposition 75 was defeated yesterday in California. The teachers union spent over a hundred million dollars to defeat it. They were quaking in their boots at the thought of actually having to ask permission of its members before spending money on partisan politics. Not surprisingly, they spend virtually all of the political money on DemocRATS. California teachers who are not DemocRATS should be angry. We have an opportunity to help them do something about it.
Okay, so the proposition was barely defeated. What next?
I had a lengthy discussion today with Ryan Bedford of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. EFF has been very successful in it's efforts to reign in the Washington Education Association. They have beaten them in court, and a huge number of teachers have "opted out." If it can be done it Washington, we can do it in California and all the other states. This is going to be a national effort. It needs your help.
Your suggestions and your offer to enlist in the battle will be greatly appreciated. We are going to use email or other methods you may suggest to inform teachers of their rights.
Conservative teachers can demand a return of a portion of their dues used for political purposes, and they have the right to take a religious exemption. With the religious exemption, ALL OF THEIR DUES will go to a charity. If succeeding threads, we will be explaining how teachers can take action. We will provide examples of forms.
For this thread, we are hoping that you will check in and offer suggestions and a little of your time to send email to teachers. According to the EFF, we can get the email addresses through a FOIA request, but that might take six months.
A google search such as "California teacher email" yields results for teachers' emails at a huge number of schools. It may be that you can begin with the schools closest to you.
The power of the teachers unions within the DemocRATic Party is enormous. A big percentage of delegates at their conventions are teachers.
Can someone start by volunteering to be in charge of an AT WAR WITH THE TEACHERS UNIONS ping list? Will someone or several someones volunteer to help with assigning tasks?
Make no mistake about it. Hillary Clinton is depending on these foot soldiers to carry her back into the White House.
Great Stuff, Doug! :) Yahoo!
public employee unions give campaign contributions directly to those politicans with whom they negotiate their contracts and who vote for the contracts. This is a direct and inherent conflict of interest. It should be prohibited.
First step...
Crack the egg.
Start noting how many teachers are being caught in sexual relations with children. Note how well it worked against the Catholic Church. But in the case of education, you can read articles almost daily of another teacher, be male or female, being caught taking advantage of a minor.
Thats how you begin to crack that egg.
Use the truth.
I agree. It is a threat to democracy.
Teachers can leave the nea and join the AAE. http://aaeteachers.org/
I disagree. The dems are a wholly owned subsidiary of the public employee's unions.
Yes, in future threads, we will be discussing the alternatives for those who want to opt out.
Doug, Got your northern flank covered.
And this money, I am sure, came right out of teachers pockets!
Yes. The union actually went to the bank to borrow more money to fight it. What was the collateral? The paychecks of union members.
Hopefully, teachers will begin to figure out where their money is going.
please, whatever you do, please dont restrict this to just CSTA members, some of us in schools, as in every area of calif govt are forced to join CSEA which spent a ton to defeat the prop as well.
the forms can be adapted for either union.
Cheers,
knews hound
http://knewshound.blogspot.com/
Abosultely NOBODY can whine like a teacher..
They can reduce you to tears in their whinings..
They can whine your wallet right out of you're back pocket..
It an amazing sight to behold..
If succeeding threads ---- should be In succeeding threads...
Members get to vote on issues. Besides teachers, there are some employees such as aides who can join the union. I don't know why conservatives are trying to do more to affect the direction.
The main reason teachers join the union is for the legal insurance. Teachers fear being sued by parents. When the union rep comes to talk to the faculty at the beginning of the year, that is the main talking point. 'Our lawyers are at your disposal.' 'We will back you in court.' In some states teachers can buy their own liability insurance as a rider on their homeowners policy - for a very few dollars a year. In one state I was told by my insurance agent, "We don't sell liability insurance to our public school teachers. We have an unwritten agreement with the union."
We've spoken about this before, my friend. With angry California teachers, maybe now the time is right.
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