1. I've read a book about the evils of the Catholic Church written by a liberal author around 1950. He calls the National Education Association "militant." Reg Weaver proves it here with all the left-wing claptrap about poverty, oppression,etc.
But get the title "Educators of the World, Unite!" Inspired by Karl Marx.("Workers of the world, unite") The "Education International" sounds like the "Communist International."
Public education is a "fundamental human right" and are the taxes to pay it a "fundamental human right, too.
Spreading liberalism around the world, Reg, doesn't inspire me.
2. Home schooling is something the NEA is monitoring, for the momemt. Some of the parents who do it are probably teachers themsleves and are or have been NEA members.
3. The NEA is determined to take down the No Child Left Behind law. Their lawsuit got thrown out by the first judge, but now they are back in court again. And they got friends like our Governor "Fast Eddie" Rendell and other states which happen to have Democrat governors including the "moderate" Brad Henry of Oklahoma.
NCLB holds schools accountable and a union like the NEA can't accept that. Administrators (NEA members too) stand to lose their jobs if students fail tests.
4. More attacks on No Child Left Behind. This article talks about "across the political spectrum" opposition to NCLB.
I admit it's federal control over local education but the article seems to point to more reading and math in schools and less political indoctrination and nonsense because of NCLB.
Federal power has been used to take on the likes of Al Capone and the KKK, is the National Education Association any less of a threat. NCLB is our Elliot Ness and FBI to take out the NEA.
I have seen postings on FR attacking testing in schools and it makes me wonder the NEA isn't trolling in to take us along with their agenda of tearing down No Child Left Behind.
Any person who is both a member of the National Education Association and calls themsleves a "Conservative" needs to decide which side they are on?
There are many such people working in our schools today and I realize there are side issues like personalities, local corruption, waste on sports programs, etc. but I think this is a choose what side you are on issue.
Reforming our schools means cutting the power of NEA down and hopefully giving local people a chance to retake their local school boards.
For now the federal intervention (NCLB) is necessary to ensure some sort of practical education (reading and math) that will help students get jobs after they leave school.
Others will go to college with some real education they can build on unless political indoctrination (another issue) doesn't mess them up at that level(college), too.
Count us in that group. Mr. RightField was a public school teacher for 37 years. I homeschooled our children through 8th grade. And, looking back we regret sending them even to the school where he taught (one of the Newsweek Top 100, BTW). Weighing all in the balance, staying at home for the entire 12 years would have been best.
Incidentally, as a teacher, we have had an email account provided by the county board of education for 12+ years. Recently, we have begun to receive lots of emails from the DNC and other Democrat organizations ... even "personalized" emails. Which is interesting in that our email account does not indicate a first name or a complete last name.
These emails refer to my husband as a "fellow Democrat" and are written to enlist his help in fighing the evil Republicans. The County Board of Education must have turned over all the emails AND the corresponding full names to the DNC.
Un-freaking-believable!!
NEA doesn't just monitor home education...they have been fighting it with moola and dirty tactics for decades. In fact the DNC incorporated word for word the NEA stance (anti-homeschool) into a plank at the 2000 convention. The Republican convention showed a pro home education position in several speeches. Those who are HS activists are repeatedly targeted. This is a frontline of the political war zone. The reason why?
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v7n8/