Looking for bold reforms in education
My wife belongs to NCAE and NEA, and proudly so.
I just see part of her paycheck going to support the teachers' unions' political activities.
Almost every day, it seems,. the mail brings NCAE or NEA promos for Democratic candidates. NEA is giddy about Barack Obama. A glossy mailing that arrived Monday touted his support for higher pay for teachers. Normally the president and Congress don't have anything to do with setting pay for teachers. That's up to state, and to a lesser extent local, governments.
Obama laid out education proposals yesterday, however, that include providing federal funds for teacher incentives. To his credit, his ideas depart significantly from the usual NEA demand for higher pay for all teachers across the board.
Obama calls for higher pay for teachers who accept more responsibility, take on tougher assignments and get better results.
I hope he'll introduce strict accountability measures to make sure the plan works, but he's definitely on the right track.
The same goes for his recommendation to give parents more choice by funding new charter schools in areas where traditional schools are under-performing.
Obama won't cross the "vouchers" line, which most Democratic politicians seem to regard as toxic (see Beverly Perdue).
But one wonders why not. Why, after all, would you spend tax money to create a charter school across the street from a failing public school but not spend the same amount of tax money, per student, to help families send their kids to an existing private school across the street?
Both options arguably take tax money from the traditional public school. But the point is to use tax money to give kids a good education, not a lousy one.
I'm not for a blanket voucher program. Mine would have three requirements:
1. Vouchers only for families that can't afford private education for their kids.
2. No vouchers for religious education.
3. Participating private schools must accept all applicants regardless of academic abilities, except for kids with long records of serious disciplinary problems.
As Mark reports, Perdue and Pat McCrory engaged in a spirited debate about vouchers last night. Perdue is an ardent opponent who says McCrory's voucher plan is dangerous, threatening to take $900 million out of public schools. But Perdue's statement is a fabrication; McCrory has no such plan. He favors selective vouchers but hasn't laid out any details. In any case, $900 million is an absurd figure.
Fear-mongering about new ideas for education won't get us anywhere. Obama is willing to put forward some new ideas that may not go far enough but at least promise to break away from the status quo. Frankly, I don't expect to see a mailing from NEA that endorses his call for pay incentives for teachers who work the hardest and get the best results because that would leave out most of NEA's membership. But I hope Obama follows through, anyway.
I haven't yet heard Perdue, who's supported by NCAE, go nearly as far as Obama in calling for change. Her education program includes endorsement of programs already implemented that are promising but nothing particularly bold. Maybe she should borrow from Obama's plan, even parts that might not please NCAE.
Comments (14)
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Perdue's criticism of McCrory, whether I agree with vouchers or not, was lame. Hyperbole and exaggeration, the attempt to whip up an hysterical response is condescending to voters.
Posted on September 10, 2008 10:38 AM
Doug, you are right about vouchers deserving a chance.
Many public schools are doing a great job under tough circumstances and I have nothing but respect for our teachers. But some schools, including some here in Guilford County, continue to fail year after year. Public education is perhaps the only business around where chronic failures are allowed to stay in business, with no accountability. Vouchers simply would give parents a chance to choose a different school for their kids, and I'm all for giving parents as much choice as possible.
However, you will never see a major Democratic candidate support vouchers, Doug. It would be political suicide. The NEA and NCAE simply contribute too much money to Democratic campaigns and vouchers are a "line in the sand" issue for the teacher's unions.
Posted on September 10, 2008 11:06 AM
Democratic Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis came out for vouchers in his campaign for state senate but was defeated in the primary by incumbent Katie Dorsett, who opposes them. I don't think the outcome had anything to do with the voucher issue, though. I wouldn't be surprised to find a poll showing a lot of support for vouchers.
Vouchers are very popular among low-income and African-American parents where they're available, as reported with the new program in Louisiana:
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/1250_no_families_apply_for_pri.html
Posted on September 10, 2008 11:20 AM
Obama is certainly saying the right things, but I can't really believe that he'd buck the NEA far enough to actually put them into practice (or even try very hard to do so). If so, good on him, but he'll have a fight on his hands.
Posted on September 10, 2008 11:40 AM
Just Saying, the NCAE is not a union. Additionally, the NCAE PAC finance reports show large and frequent contributions to Republicans as well as Democrats.
Posted on September 10, 2008 12:08 PM
The NCAE is not a union in the literal sense of the term, since N.C. doesn't have collective bargaining for public employees like teachers. But in practice, it serves all of the other functions of a union, including political lobbying.
And please don't tell me you think the NCAE is a non-partisan or even bi-partisan organization! Teacher's unions (or "professional organizations," if you like) are a core constituency of the Democratic Party. There nothing wrong with that, but let's call it like it is.
Posted on September 10, 2008 12:16 PM
If it serves your purposes to obfuscate, then by all means, call them a union and ignore their substantial contributions to Republicans.
Posted on September 10, 2008 12:31 PM
Doug:
Good post!
I believe that if what we are REALLY concerned about our children getting a quality education (and this is not, in my experience, a rhetorical question) we should do all we can to improve access to a broad spectrum of schools. In addition to public schools and charter schools, we should provide vouchers or tax credits for private schools, regardless of family income.
Best regards,
Paul Daniels
Posted on September 11, 2008 9:32 AM
Thanks, Paul. Good luck pursuing those ideas on the school board!
Posted on September 11, 2008 9:52 AM
Why should I use my tax money to sent someone else's child to a private school. When my own government can't use the money to fix schools. Why don't you take the public school down and rebuild it. Get the teachers out who only teach to their own race, or the teachers who don't help children at all and are to LAZY.
I don't like the voucher program cause I am not using my taxes to pay for any illegals or gang bangers to go to a private school. Make their parents get off their bottoms and fight to fix the public school. Don't give me the NEA wont allow it. GET OVER IT, I don't care about the NEA. I know in other places of business,like cops and firefighters. If your stupid and don't want to work you don't work and get fired.
Now, I do know there are Teachers who do work but they are few and far between. Find more teachers who work and stop hiring your buddy or by race.
Posted on September 12, 2008 8:36 AM
Why should I use my tax money to sent someone else's child to a private school. When my own government can't use the money to fix schools. Why don't you take the public school down and rebuild it. Get the teachers out who only teach to their own race, or the teachers who don't help children at all and are to LAZY.
I don't like the voucher program cause I am not using my taxes to pay for any illegals or gang bangers to go to a private school. Make their parents get off their bottoms and fight to fix the public school. Don't give me the NEA wont allow it. GET OVER IT, I don't care about the NEA. I know in other places of business,like cops and firefighters. If your stupid and don't want to work you don't work and get fired.
Now, I do know there are Teachers who do work but they are few and far between. Find more teachers who work and stop hiring your buddy or by race.
Posted on September 12, 2008 8:45 AM
Not sure why you are getting so bent out of shape, Roch. I simply said that teachers unions/organizations are a core constituency of the Democratic Party.
That's just a fact. It's no different than saying the NRA is a core constituency of the Republican Party.
Posted on September 12, 2008 11:36 AM
J, vouchers wouldn't use your tax money to send other people's children to private school.
Instead, vouchers take the money you and I already pay to support the public schools and give it back to us to use as we see fit. This way, the money follows the students -- it gives parents more control over their children's education.
Posted on September 12, 2008 11:42 AM
I think that's correctly stated.
The NCAE's close association with Democrats may hurt teachers sometime. It has done too little to fight against detrimental actions like cutting the promised ABCs bonuses for teachers or holding back $748 million in fines/forfeitures proceeds owed to schools. These were actions by Democrats in Raleigh, who almost always can count on NCAE's support.
Posted on September 12, 2008 11:46 AM