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4401-A
Connecticut Avenue, Box 294, Washington, DC
20008
Tel: (202) 244-7535, Fax: (202) 244-7584
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Education Exchange
Volume 3, Issue 1 -- January
1999
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Focusing on
Education Reforms at Your School, in Your State
Legislature, and in Congress
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Agency Fees: How Fair
Are "Fair Share" Fees?
Executive Summary
"State legislators should repeal the statutes that
require or allow agency fees," concludes Myron Lieberman in
the first in a new series of publications now available
through the Education Policy Institute. Agency fees are the
amounts that nonmembers of a union must pay to the unions
for representation services. In Agency Fees: How Fair
Are "Fair Share" Fees?, a publication in the
EPI Series on Teacher Unions, Lieberman
dispels a number of popular cliches with evidence that:
- he closer the agency shop fees are to dues, the more
teachers will opt for membership and payment of full dues
instead of agency fees;
- he contention that everyone benefits from union
representation is fallacious on its face;
- a decisive objection to agency fees is that fee
payers are forced to subsidize political causes to which
they are opposed;
- the National Education Association and the American
Federation of Teachers are utilizing agency fees (and
dues as well) to support political candidates as well as
political causes;
- because the agency fee comes out of the pockets of
the teachers, not school district budgets, school boards
are not as careful to protect teacher rights as they
should be;
- the unions do not notify unit members of their agency
fee rights unless required to do so by court order or the
threat of one.
Even on the most benign view of the matter, agency fees
constitute taking money from employees for purposes they do
not wish to support, and for activities that may be against
their interests. Furthermore, "union determination to take
advantage of teachers' lack of information about teacher
rights is hardly consistent with the ideal of a union or
professional organization devoted to protecting them,"
writes Lieberman.
To order Agency Fees: How Fair Are "Fair Share"
Fees?, or other booklets in the EPI Series on Teacher
Unions, send $6.00 per booklet to the Education Policy
Institute, 4401-A Connecticut Ave., NW, Box 294, Washington,
DC 20008. Be sure to provide your mailing address and
clearly specify the title of the booklet(s) you are
ordering.
Teacher
Unions and Parent Involvement
Executive Summary
Like other terms in the debates over education reform,
"parent involvement" means different things to different
parties. Charlene K. Haar provides an analysis and
clarification of this important concept in Teacher
Unions and Parent Involvement, a publication in the
EPI Series on Teacher Unions. In addition
to analyzing NEA/AFT policies with respect to parents, Haar
analyzes the treatment of parents in collective bargaining
contracts between school boards and local affiliates of the
National Education Association and the American Federation
of Teachers.
The teacher unions discourage parental involvement
whenever it is not based on acceptance of teacher practice
or competence. Despite union praise for "parent
involvement," Haar finds that:
- not one NEA/AFT policy is based on the idea that
parents have a unique interest in school affairs;
- the two unions agree that volunteers (who are mainly
parents) should not be utilized in ways that reduce union
employees or union work;
- the NEA/AFT's highest legislative priority is
opposition to legislation that would empower parents to
choose the schools that would educate their children.
Most disappointing, notes Haar, is that the National PTA
(Parent Teacher Association) has adopted a policy of
neutrality on teacher bargaining issues, no matter how much
they affect parent rights and concerns. PTA policy does not
address parental concerns over such issues as parental
grievance procedures, grading policies, teacher obligations
to help students after class, and several other issues on
which school boards are required to bargain. Haar reveals
that, unfortunately, "PTA domination by the teacher unions
is subtle but highly effective," to the detriment of
parents.
The National PTA often serves as the front organization
for the coalitions of public school organizations which
contend that parents and students are better off under the
current government monopoly of education.
Haar points out that "parents working for school choice
or trying to terminate incompetent teachers are just as
'involved' as PTA parents and teacher unions involved in
preserving the status quo in public schools"; however, these
kinds of parent involvement are characterized as "meddling"
or by some other pejorative, but not "parent involvement."
To order Teacher Unions and Parent
Involvement, or other booklets in the EPI Series on
Teacher Unions, send $6.00 per booklet to the Education
Policy Institute, 4401-A Connecticut Ave., NW, Box 294,
Washington, DC 20008. Be sure to provide your mailing
address and clearly specify the title of the booklet(s) you
are ordering.
House
Committee on Education and the Workforce Appoints New
Subcommittee Chairmen for 106th Congress
House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Bill
Goodling (R-PA) has announced the appointment of five
subcommittee chairmen who will help shape the education and
labor policies of the 106th Congress.
In addition to naming the subcommittee chairman, Goodling
also announced that the Committee on Education and the
Workforce will be expanded by four members -- two
Republicans and two Democrats. Those new seats will bring
the total committee membership to 49: 27 Republicans and 22
Democrats.
Of the five subcommittee appointments, two are new
chairmen and three return to previously held assignments.
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) has been named chairman of the
Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations. He succeeds
Rep. Harris Fawell (R-IL), who has retired from Congress.
Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE) has been named chairman of the
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families. He
succeeds Rep. Frank Riggs (R-CA), who has retired from
Congress.
Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) returns as chairman
of the Subcommittee on Post-secondary Education, Training
and Lifelong Learning. He has served as chairman since 1995.
During the 106th Congress, McKeon's subcommittee will
examine teacher training issues as part of the
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA).
Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) returns as chairman of the
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Ballenger returns for
his third term as chairman.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra returns as chairman of the
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He has held
this post since 1995.
Long
Distance Carriers Support/Oppose Unions
"Start changing the world with every call you make,"
proclaims the appeal of LifeLine, the tradename for
AmeriVision Communications, Inc. LifeLine is a nine-year old
Christian communications company that transfers over $1
million each month among 37,000 nonprofit, pro-family and
traditional values organizations nationwide. With Sunday
long-distance rates at ten cents a minute, LifeLine's rates
are comparable or slightly higher than a competing program
begun two months ago by AT&T.
AT&T's solicitation letter urges "100% participation
by AFT Members." The program works like this. According to
the letter, "AT&T has set up a program that helps us
channel money to AFT causes and The Albert Shanker
Institute." The contributions from AT&T, not
individuals, are funneled into the Albert Shanker Institute.
Following Shanker's death in 1997, the American
Federation of Teachers established the Institute as a
tribute to its 23-year president. The Albert Shanker
Institute is organized to "work to defend and extend
democracy here and abroad, promote quality public education,
and improve and strengthen the contributions of unions."
The percentage of funds that AT&T will contribute is
unstated; however, participants in the program can call the
charity to learn the details of the amounts contributed.
Part of the appeal is that "AT&T's long distance
employees are represented by Communication Workers of
America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers unions."
Currently, six other labor unions have established
charities to which AT&T provides contributions. An
AT&T spokesman said that signups from AFT members are
"pretty good" so far.
In its informational packet, LifeLine provides a chart
which documents AT&T's support and or/contributions (as
well as MCI and Sprint) for support of pornography, special
rights for homosexuals, and other liberal social agendas and
political candidates.
In contrast to the other long distance carriers, LifeLine
supports pro-life organizations and "God-fearing men and
women" running for political office. For additional
information, contact the Oklahoma City company at
1-800-800-7550.
Civil
Rights Groups Target Educational Failure in Florida Schools
Civil rights groups are suing the state of Florida for
failing to educate minority children across the state. The
plaintiffs in the suit, 19 minority children from state
schools, are bringing the suit on behalf of 1.4 million
pupils, one-third of whom fail state reading and math tests.
They say they want the state to live up to its
Constitutional promise that "adequate provision shall be
made by law for a uniform system of free public schools."
...If it's any consolation to those involved, the failure
probably isn't racist. The government's schools tend to be
equal-opportunity failures. But they effectively enjoy a
monopoly since the families of the children involved may not
have the means to go elsewhere...
Source: Washington Times, January 18, 1999
Despite
National PTA Positions, Texas PTAs Seek Solutions for Poor
Student Progress
Two of the National PTA's local affiliates in Texas
(Austin and Dallas) made headline news recently for similar
reasons, but alternative solutions may present a dilemma for
the organization.
Citing a widespread perception that trust in the school
board and administration is "greatly lacking," leaders of
the Austin City Council of PTAs resolved to:
- form a special committee to address the district
problems and promote academic improvement;
- report the committee's findings to the school board;
and
- send the committee report to local PTAs to better
focus discussions on improving each school.
The PTA document also says the 78,000 student district
cannot expect academic improvement until it addresses such
issues as resources for low-performing students, teacher and
administrator turnover, leadership and real parental
involvement.
Acknowledging that "it is very rare" when a PTA
challenges the system, the president spoke for thousands of
parents who don't believe the district is paying attention
to their concerns. She cited how parents and the PTA were
useful for a bond election campaign in 1996, but now feel
ignored in academic and other decisions.
In Dallas, the board of the Dallas Council of PTAs urged
its members and their children to boycott a district-wide
survey for fear that the results would identify too many
problems with the district. Finding fault with the district
could "bolster the case of school vouchers, Šwhich would
prove that public schools are not working," said the PTA
council president.
Despite the PTA's call for a boycott among its members,
late last year Dallas school district officials surveyed
educators, support staff members, parents and children. The
deadlines for returning the questionnaires were extended,
however, perhaps reflecting the reluctance of those
surveyed. No results have been released in the school
district survey financed by Ross Perot, who donated about $1
million to fund it.
Like the PTA, a Perot spokesman said he would "fight any
effort to use the survey as ammunition in the pro-voucher
movement."
Potential solutions for these problems in the public
school districts are limited for the National PTA and its
state and local affiliates. The PTA officially opposes
school choice alternatives such as public charter schools,
tax credit proposals to offset education expenses, school
vouchers, and even privatization of school services.
In dealing with the teacher unions, the National PTA has
adopted a position of neutrality which renders parent
involvement useless in issues which challenge the teacher
unions.
If the local affiliates continue to follow their National
PTA prescriptions, few alternatives remain to parents who
wish to be effective. Disaffiliation with the National PTA
may be a viable option for parents hoping to increase
student academic performance and participate in meaningful
ways to benefit students.
EPI's
Education Quick Facts
- In 1994, women obtained more than 40 percent of
doctoral degrees, more than four times the number they
got in the early 1960s. Additionally, American women in
1994 received over 40 percent of the doctorates in the
biological sciences that went to American citizens, as
well as 62 percent in education, and 57% in English
literature. (Source: The Contrarian, Pacific
Research Institute, Dec. 30, 1998)
- In Fortune Magazine's ranking of the 25 most powerful
lobbying organizations, the National Education
Association, which was ranked ninth most powerful in
1997, dropped to 21st on the 1998 ranking. (Source:
The Education Industry Report, Dec. 1998)
- The largest gift ever made to a school was recently
received by the USC School of Education. The $20 million
gift "will be known as the Rossier School of Education
and [it will be] the best-endowed school of education in
the country," said Dean Guilbert C. Hentschke. (Source:
Ombudsman Outlook, Fall 1998)
- The most controversial piece of [President] Clinton's
plan is a requirement that all new teachers be tested for
competence and certified to teach the subjects to which
they are assigned. Teacher unions have balked at
subjecting teachers to standardized testing, arguing that
such examinations do not adequately measure a teacher's
competence. (Source: The New York Times,
Jan. 18, 1999)
- Education Minnesota was born this fall when the
42,000-member Minnesota Education Association and the
20,000-member Minnesota Federation of Teachers merged.
Education Minnesota members will belong to both the NEA
and the AFT, and both unions claim the added numbers for
their memberships. (Source: NEA Today, Jan.
1999)
Copyright 1999
Education Policy Institute, PMB 294, 4401-A Connecticut
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008-2322 202/244-7535, Fax
202/244-7584 http://www.educationpolicy.org
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