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4401-A
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Tel: (202) 244-7535, Fax: (202) 244-7584
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Education Exchange
Volume 2, Issue 7 -- July
1998
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Focusing on
Education Reforms at Your School, in Your State
Legislature, and in Congress
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NEA Shows
Intolerance in Convention Debates
The 1998 NEA convention, like past conventions, was
filled with contrasts. Before the debate on the Principles
of Unity, President Robert Chase and Vice President Reg
Weaver reminded the delegates to be courteous, respectful,
and orderly. They were, until the floor discussions included
proposed amendments to some long-standing NEA resolutions
and several new business items.
It seems that Bob Chase was one of only a few at the
convention committed to improving education and educational
opportunities for all children. When a delegate expressed
his hope that the Representative Assembly would accept an
amendment to an existing NEA resolution censuring home
schooling, several unionists loudly proclaimed their
opposition and defeated the proposal. Chase was visibly
appalled by the exchanges.
Tolerance, acceptance, and open-mindedness are encouraged
within the NEA -- especially as these ideals relate to gays,
lesbians, bisexuals, and transsexuals. However, tolerance
did not extend to Christian values. During the debate of an
NEA resolution, another delegate expressed concern about the
content of It's Elementary.
It's Elementary is a lesbian-produced video used to train
public school teachers to address and celebrate
homosexuality with elementary students beginning at the
Kindergarten level. Again, the delegate's concerns were
ridiculed by members of the extensive gay and lesbian
community within the NEA.
Nor did the majority of the delegates agree to change
NEA's Human Rights resolution to reject its present
pro-abortion position, although teachers from Ohio,
Illinois, New York, and Oklahoma voiced objections on five
different occasions. Upon questioning, one delegate received
a "no limits" response to when the NEA stops its abortion
support during the nine months of pregnancy.
Although it survived the approval process, a new business
item was subsequently withdrawn because the maker of the
motion (the Wyoming delegation) had resolved the issue with
Bob Chase before debate on the floor of the Representative
Assembly.
The new item would have directed "President Chase to
write a letter to John Walton informing him of our
dissatisfaction with his allegiance with Ted Forstmann in
their campaign to bash public education and siphon tax funds
from public schools via their 'Children's Scholarship Fund';
and that we recognize the CSF as a corporate tuition tax
credit scheme. Further, the NEA will initiate the process
for adoption of a boycott against WalMart Stores, Inc. until
John Walton abandons efforts to weaken public education."
Clearly, the union's tolerance of free enterprise and
free speech is limited.
[Editor's Note: The Children's Scholarship Fund is
entirely funded with private money.]
NEA/AFT
Merger Down But Not Out
Vice President Al Gore campaigned for it during his
appearance at the NEA convention. So did NEA President
Robert Chase -- from the podium, at the Human and Civil
Rights dinner, and at press conferences. After 9,715
delegates voted on July 5, however, only 42% chose to accept
the Principles of Unity.
Disappointed but not defeated, in a roll-call vote the
next day, slightly more than 53% of the delegates voted to
go back to the negotiating table to discuss "its [the NEA]
historic commitment to the concept of unity with the AFT."
In addition to consultation with the other eight members of
the executive committee, President Chase was directed to
also include a representative group of leaders from large
and small states that opposed and supported the Principles
of Unity.
While the merger of the national teacher unions is on
hold, the delegates directed the President and the Executive
Committee to develop guidelines to permit mergers of state
NEA and AFT affiliates. Currently, NEA and AFT state
affiliates are ready to merge in Minnesota and Montana;
Florida affiliates have preparatory documents ready, and a
handful of other states have had informal discussions.
Guidelines for mergers of local NEA and AFT affiliates
have been formally in place since 1995, although a few
locals, such as the 22,000-member United Teachers of Los
Angeles, merged long before that. To date, 18 NEA/AFT locals
have merged.
Sandra Feldman, president of the AFT welcomed the
proposal for state merger guidelines; however, she said the
possibility of renegotiating the Principles of Unity would
not be appropriate at this time.
NEA
Dues Pay for Political Favors
Once again, the NEA's own documents provide concrete
evidence showing how the leadership spent member dues on
political activities. From its $1.5 million contingency
fund, in 1997-98 the NEA board of directors appropriated:
- $500,000 to assist the California Teachers
Association "in its financial and political crisis."
- $175,000 to the Ohio Education Association in "its
Every Child Counts" campaign.
- $600,000 to assist the Oregon Education Association
"in its ballot initiatives."
- $200,000 to assist the Massachusetts Teachers
Association "in challenging ballot initiatives."
NEA Pays
Property Taxes...Finally
At the NEA's budget committee hearing,
Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Van Roekel acknowledged that, for
the first time, NEA must budget at least $1.2 million to pay
the property tax on its downtown Washington, D.C. property.
After a campaign waged by many conservative
organizations, including EPI, Congress passed legislation
eliminating the exemption which the NEA had enjoyed since
1906. At the time the legislation was passed, the NEA was
the only labor union, among more than 50 located in the
District of Columbia, which paid no property tax. The NEA
made its first payment in June of 1998.
NEA PAC
Changes Name; Funds Fluctuate
The NEA Political Action Committee is changing its name
to The Fund for Children and Public Education.
In its Payroll Deduction Fundraiser Report for the nine
months ended May 31, 1998, 20 state affiliates showed
decreases in fundraising for the period. Due to an unusual
and enormous increase of nearly $218,000 by the Michigan
affiliate alone, however, the total for the 52 affiliates
included in the report increased by $230,002.04 over 1997.
The previous year's increase was only $55,278.90.
School
Choice Wins Important
African-American Backing
A campaign for a K-12 tuition tax credit in Michigan gave
birth less than two months ago to an idea that has now
produced an historic first-ever endorsement of the nation's
school choice movement by the leader of a mainstream
national African-American organization.
Kids First America/Africa, a group speaking for Dr. E.
Edward Jones, president of the 4 million-member National
Baptist Convention of America based in Shreveport,
Louisiana, announced Jones has agreed to join the School
Choice movement. He has agreed to establish a new
African-American-led scholarship fund for low-income K-12
students, and to campaign nationally for enactment of
tuition tax credits that encourage individuals and
businesses to donate to such funds.
Angel Rocker, founder of Kids First America/Africa said
she and Dr. Jones "refuse to allow former Congressman Floyd
Flake to stand alone as the only significant black voice for
school choice." She said Jones and her ministry will join
Flake in speaking out against poor education and assist in
developing other components surrounding these issues in the
African-American communities."
Rocker said under Dr. Jones' instructions, she is
organizing a press conference for late July or early August
at which Dr. Jones will formally announce:
- His endorsement of the school choice movement
&endash; a cause Jones said he has always believed would
assist black communities -- as part of his "Educational
& Economic Development Program."
- His agreement to set up a board for the new
scholarship fund that will administer the fund as a K-12
equivalent of the United Negro College Fund.
- His continuing support for public education, but with
a need to create alternative schools for at-risk children
throughout America.
Rocker said her group is working with two other
African-American Christian groups that could bring a total
of 17 million African-Americans into the school choice
movement.
While the National Baptist Convention of America was
endorsing school choice through a connection with a proposed
Michigan tax credit, the National Congress of Black
Conservatives (N-CBC) was taking aim at the NAACP, during
its recent convention in Atlanta, on the same issue.
In an open letter to NAACP Chairman Kweisi Mfume and
Julian Bond, N-CBC expressed its displeasure at the NAACP's
continued opposition to "the demands of millions of black
parents, to send their children to a public, private or
parochial school of their choice."
The letter takes issue with the NAACP leadership, stating
"You oppose public school choice, charter schools, home
schooling and state takeovers of dysfunctional school
districts. Having fought every major public education reform
in defense of the status quo, we are mystified as to what
you intend to discuss at the convention's Education Workshop
this year."
The N-CBC finally advised the NAACP to reverse it's
opposition to parental control, because "the train is
leaving the station. Get on board, or get left behind."
NAACP's
Mfume Responds to
School Choice Advocates
In response to the N-CBC's open letter to the NAACP
leadership (see article, page 3), Kweisi Mfume said, "the
NAACP opposes the use of limited tax dollars for private
schools. There is an infinite amount of needs. Many school
kids would be left behind." He added that the NAACP has no
problem with "public school choice within a district,"
although political consultant Teresa Jeter-Chappell noted,
"Saying the NAACP doesn't have a problem with public school
choice within a school district is not a position, a policy,
or even a statement of support."
PTA
President Offers 1998 Highlights to Convention Delegates
In her state-of-the-PTA address, Lois Jean White, the
president of the National PTA revealed that:
- Lobbying for increased federal funds and advocacy are
still top priorities.
- Lois Jean White is now the chairman of the Learning
First Alliance, a 12-member alliance (including the NEA,
AFT, NSBA, ASCD and other education organizations)
devoted to lobbying and political activism.
- The PTA remains adamantly opposed to vouchers, tax
credits and deductions, outsourcing education services to
for-profit companies, and other school choice options.
- The PTA will continue its forums for support of
public schools through joint efforts with Phi Delta
Kappa.
- Membership has dropped to 6 million -- only 1,600
were delegates to the convention.
- Membership demographics will be gathered in a few
local pilot projects.
- The PTA will engage in a concerted effort to
encourage memberships beyond teachers and parents,
including businesses, and corporate sponsorships, in an
effort to increase membership numbers.
- Office Depot has signed on as a corporate sponsor --
a "value added" to PTA of almost $20 million in
anticipated advertising for public schools and the PTA;
Family Education Network, the American College of
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and Scherling
Corporation, Dannon Yogurt and Water, Ladies Home
Journal, and Entemanns have also signed on as "partners."
Fellow Tennesseans Al and Tipper Gore campaigned via a
video.
EPI's
Education Quick Facts
- In response to a complaint filed by Chuck Pardee, a
private citizen, the Florida Elections Commission ruled
that the Marion County Education Association, an
affiliate of the NEA, had willfully violated state law
prohibiting, "a person from making, soliciting, or
knowingly accepting any campaign contributions in a
building owned by a government entity." (Source: RNC News
Release, July 1, 1998)
- Four myths about American Education are 1) More money
spent on education yields better student achievement. 2)
Smaller class sizes enhance student performance. 3)
Computers are vital to improvement in student
achievement. 4) An increase in the amount of time
students attend class will improve the quality of
education. (Source: Ombudsman Outlook,
Spring/Summer 1998)
- The following ten states received a total of $2.7
million in grants to form partnerships with local school
districts and the community to help youth incorporate
good citizenship into their learning experiences: Alaska,
Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New York,
Ohio, Oregon, Wisconsin. (Source: U.S. Department of
Education news release, July 7, 1998)
- As part of a strike settlement in 1977, the
[Cincinnati public school] district allows employees to
accrue up to 15 unused sick days a year. At retirement,
workers are paid a lump sum for the unused days at 50% of
their current salary; some payouts are as large as
$30,000. (Source: Wall Street Journal, July
14, 1998)
- The National Congress of Black Conservatives (N-CBC)
will host a "Great Lakes School Choice Organizers
Conference" on October 3, 1998 in Detroit. (Source:
The Tuskegee Rail, June/July 1998)
Copyright 1998
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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