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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 3, Issue 7 -- July
1999
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Focusing on
Education Reforms at Your School, in Your State
Legislature, and in Congress
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Education
Pushed Aside as NEA Gears Up for Election 2000
Election 2000 could have been the theme for the 1999 NEA
Convention held in Orlando, July 1-6. For starters, the
9,601 delegates were provided with anti-voucher signs.
Delegates waved them furiously in response to comments from
NEA president Bob Chase who gave Florida Governor Jeb Bush
an "F" for the state's voucher law, which Chase said aims
"to discredit, defund, and eventually destroy public
education." Don't expect the NEA to support candidates who
favor school choice.
Convention planners and tearful speakers used (some would
say over-used) the Columbine tragedy to set other NEA
political agendas: hiring more teachers, insisting on
smaller classrooms, and getting federal tax dollars to pay
for school repairs. Not surprisingly, this is the Clinton
administration's agenda also. Never mind that research on
these issues is contradictory at best, candidates who
espouse these positions will get NEA's support and PAC cash.
Like Bill Clinton in 1996, Hillary Clinton (a former
lobbyist who sold the central planning ideas in
School-to-Work legislation to governors) accepted the NEA's
"Friend of Education" award. Her litany of accolades for the
NEA was a run-down of its legislative agenda and that of the
Democrats in the administration and in Congress. Like-minded
candidates are sure to get support and NEA staff assigned to
their campaigns.
NEA officials dished out biting criticisms of
privatization, free enterprise, and competition. In his
address, NEA president Bob Chase called the marketplace
"predatory" and said that the "run-amok marketplace is
increasingly toxic to children." Candidates who have a
business background are probably in this negative territory;
NEA will give preference to professional politicians.
In yet another year of intimidation, the NEA delegates
voted to "disseminate to members information about the
organizations, corporations, and recognized individuals
involved in the advancement of the privatization of public
education, through vehicles such as publicly and privately
funded vouchers and many charter schools. This information
should include any networks and interconnections the above
utilize." Candidates hoping for NEA support will need to be
mindful of association by innuendo as well.
To punish the "many actions and decisions of the Walmart
Corporation [that] are in conflict with NEA's strategic
focus and core values," delegates want to boycott Walmart.
What has Walmart done to incur NEA's wrath? They provide
"financial support of voucher initiatives, the privatization
of education, payroll protection, unfriendly charter school
initiatives, removal of products that support opportunities
for women and girls, and refusal to carry the prescription
contraceptive Preven." NEA's executive committee will deal
with this matter, but politicians should take note of the
length of the NEA's retaliation arm.
A continued legislative NEA priority is to support a
federal statute which would establish a national collective
bargaining law. Simultaneously, union staff lobby state
legislators vigorously for exclusive bargaining rights. In
addition to its 1,500 UniServ political operatives covering
every congressional district, NEA will explore establishing
a union Organizer's Training Institute. Expect NEA to
support candidates who support its agenda, which is laid out
in NEA's PAC questionnaire.
Convention delegates (most of whom are subsidized by
local or state dues to attend the convention) contributed
$797,000 toward the PAC's fundraising goal of $7.7 million
for election 2000. The NEA Fund for Children and Public
Education, the new name for NEA's political action
committee, will soon begin to endorse candidates and
distribute cash, provide in-kind contributions, and provide
for independent expenditures. Using members' dues, the NEA
will assign headquarters staff to selected campaigns,
provide consultants and conduct polls, among other political
activities that overwhelmingly support Democratic
candidates.
As for the "new unionism," it was swept aside in NEA's
focus on elections. Bob Chase's first-term plan to lead
union members out of the paths of traditional,
confrontational unionism into an agenda of concern for the
well being and achievement of students met the reality of
reelection. NEA's Executive Officers -- Bob Chase, Reg
Weaver, and Dennis Van Roekel -- were reelected without
opposition. The 1999 NEA convention went down in history as
a prescription for political candidates and the consequences
of those opposing the union's agenda; education issues were
all but abandoned.
AFT
Skeptical About Edison Project Schools
The American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution
at its 1998 business meeting which set this year's QuEST
(Quality Education Standards in Teaching) conference agenda.
The resolution states: "Urgent action must be taken to
improve the nation's low-performing schools, and we believe
that it is the union's responsibility to participate in the
development of workable solutions."
In keeping with the QuEST theme, "Building Betters
SchoolsŠ It's Union Work," the 2,000 convention delegates
chose classes built around 10 different themes, such as
creating an orderly school climate, changing how children
learn to read, using school autonomy effectively, and making
Title 1 work.
One session that didn't fit into the designated theme was
devoted to discussions by teachers who have taught in Edison
Project contract schools. The Edison Project is the nation's
leading for-profit charter school company and is one of very
few school management companies that contracts directly with
school districts.
The Edison Project is collaborating with the AFT in four
contract schools (and with the NEA in 10 schools) by
agreeing to permit employee unionization. The districts
continue to employ school staff and are responsible for
payroll, benefits, and the cost of maintaining a payroll
staff. Of its 51 schools in 12 states and the District of
Columbia, 29 are in districts which have contracted with
Edison to operate schools. The remaining schools are
operated as autonomous charter schools.
Concerned that the "lifeblood of the public school system
is on the line," AFT officers and staff admitted that the
dozen articles included in the session packet "were somewhat
critical" of the Edison Project. Session delegates were
warned that "the Edison Project is so well financed by
venture capitalists that it's not going to go away;
therefore, the AFT is demanding that it not be excluded from
Edison's expansion plans.
Furthermore, AFT officials disclosed that their
involvement allows them access to financial data not
available to others because the Edison Project is a
privately held company. Still, some participants expressed
concern that AFT's cooperation is helping to save the Edison
Project, which is expanding but not expected to make a
profit for several more years.
Martha Hadland, a 12-year teacher who quit after just one
year at an Edison school in Minneapolis, directed her
criticisms at the company, its school management and
marketing, and its operations, which include longer days and
increased teacher responsibilities. However, even as she
reluctantly acknowledged that the educational plan of the
Edison Project has "potential", she complained that the
focus on academics gave too little attention to the social
needs of individual students.
Peggy Green, also a veteran teacher, just finished her
third year in an Edison contract school in Miami. Green's
comments focused on the positive results of Edison's
academic programs. She was complimentary of the Florida
state AFT affiliate as well. Her harshest criticisms were
levied against Dade County education officials who audited
the Edison school three times in two years. Green suggested
that failing public schools in Miami, which have never been
audited, could likely benefit from such scrutiny.
Aware that it could continue to lose members in
non-unionized charter schools, the AFT is proceeding
cautiously with Edison. Union officials reminded members to
"make sure that the [negotiated contract] clause to bail on
the agreement is clearly defined, including all steps
leading up to that point."
As usual, politics was front and center. Vice President
Al Gore campaigned for AFT support in next year's election.
AFT leaders boasted that "Many of the Clinton
administration's education initiatives are in direct
response to the very issues that the AFT has worked to bring
to the national conversation on how to improve public
education."
Proclaiming that the AFT "could have no better friend in
the office of U.S. Secretary of Education than the Honorable
Richard W. Riley," the AFT bestowed on him a 1999 QuEST
Award. In accepting the award, Secretary Riley criticized
the Republican majority in Congress for not accepting the
administration's wholesale expansion of federal involvement
in education decision making...and AFT President Sandra
Feldman railed against vouchers, privatization, and tax
credits. Some things never change.
Haar
Reveals Lessons Learned at PTA Convention
- In apparent contradiction to well-publicized cries
for parent involvement in public schools, PTA leaders
stressed the importance of lobbying for more government
intervention as the most effective means to improve
public education.
- In his ramblings about his youth in Philadelphia,
61-year-old actor/comedian Bill Cosby contrasted his
mother's watchful eyes with today's angry parents and
broken children. Because his remarks included many
4-letter vulgarities, he was a perfect example of the
adage, "do as I say, not as I do," despite his pleas for
parents and teachers to be role models.
- Selling the Family Education Network (FEN) through
the PTA has paid off for former PTA president Joan
Dykstra. FEN has hired Dykstra to recruit state PTA
affiliates to sign up for Internet and web services
provided by FEN, which also has a partnership with the
National Education Association.
- It's becoming apparent that PTA's interest (aside
from possible paid employment for former PTA officers) in
the Family Education Network lies in using family and
school data to develop databases for use in lobbying
activities. According to a FEN spokesman, a new web tool
for easier online PTA advocacy will be available this
fall.
- In a meeting chaired by National PTA Bylaws and
Resolutions committee leaders, neither they nor other
board members knew the name of the outside company hired
to administer the PTA's endowment funds.
- The National PTA requires no information on the
potential costs of implementation of its proposed
resolutions.
- Sometimes it's easier to have an outsider deliver
controversial messages, and Molly Ivins filled the role
well this year.
€ Ivins ridiculed "right-wing" individuals and groups for
supporting vouchers, promoting privatization, and
encouraging competition in education. She said of the
Christian Right, "they are the most frightened people in
America!" She alleged that because of their fears, the
Christian Right limits freedoms and that "many home
schoolers will permit their children to read only the
Bible."
€ Republicans fared no better. Ivins made fun of George
W. Bush, called Pete Wilson a "dufus", and said "If ever
there was any evidence that man is descended from
monkeys, and damned recently too, it is Tom DeLay!"
€ Ivins discussed special interest groups by saying "that
we now have government of, by, and for special
interests." She then argued for publicly financed
campaigns, so that politicians don't have to "kiss
corporate ass to run for reelection."
- First-time delegates (and even veteran PTAers) may
have missed the irony of Ivins' criticism of special
interest groups; comments from PTA leaders and workshop
presenters stressed the necessity for the PTA to
emphasize its special interest lobbying capabilities!
Several other items seemed particularly noteworthy. Seven
of the eight contenders for national and regional office
nominated from the floor won election. Seven nominees were
unopposed. Shirley Igo from Texas handily defeated her
opponent from Ohio for president-elect. In her nominating
speech, Igo took issue with national magazine articles, such
as U.S. News & World Report (5/31/99, pp.
62-64) which characterized the PTA as irrelevant.
In talking with some delegates, the election results
confirm the huge disconnect between the membership and the
leadership. Those candidates professing to follow the
recently adopted strategic plan seemed to be at a
disadvantage because to some, the plan represented another
example of PTA rigid topdown control. Other delegates
attributed the victories to higher than usual delegate
representation from western states.
The Board of Directors proposed amending the PTA bylaws
in the wake of the PTA's controversial partnership last
summer with Office Depot and other corporate sponsors. Even
after the PTA attorney explained that sponsorship involves a
commercial entity financially supporting the PTA's work, and
endorsement is a statement or action making a value judgment
of a company's products or services, some delegates remained
skeptical.
One delegate asked if the PTA's membership had increased
because of Office Depot sponsorship. The answer was "no",
but representatives at the Office Depot exhibit booth
reported significantly increased sales as a result of the
partnership. Neither the PTA nor Office Depot revealed the
cost of the sponsorship -- which has been renewed.
Delegates agreed with the amended bylaw, that "the
organization or members in their official capacities shall
not endorse a commercial entity or engage in activities not
related to promoting the Objects of the organization."
To accommodate the changes to permit corporate
sponsorship, guidelines were adopted last year. For the
first time, corporate sponsors (America Online, Nickelodeon,
Family Education Network, Astra-Zeneca, Schering-Plough
Corporation, and Oriental Trading Company), "more than fully
funded" the 1999 National PTA convention.
Despite significant representation, Washington state PTA
delegates lost their effort to resist a Board of Directors
Bylaw which gives the National PTA the authority to seize
assets and property of any organization controlled by a
state PTA affiliate in the event a state PTA withdraws from
the National PTA.
Without being specific, PTA leaders and speakers warned
local and state PTA affiliates to be very concerned about
the increased oversight of the Internal Revenue Service on
non-profit organizations.
Despite efforts to increase its membership base, PTA
membership dropped from 6.5 million members to 6.4 million
for the 1998-99 school year.
In recapping her two-year tenure as the organization's
first black president, Lois Jean White characterized her
term of office as both "encouraging and troubling."
"Encouraging," she said, "because during my many state
visits, you have confirmed that PTA people are the most
caring volunteers to be found anywhere." Troubling, she
added, because the needs today are greater than ever and
present profoundly challenging issues such as violence in
the schools.
Comments from incoming National PTA president Ginny
Markell reflected child advocacy concerns from her
perspective as a registered nurse and former science teacher
in the Clackamas, Oregon school district. For her two-year
tenure, Markell's goal for the PTA is to allow every child
to live his or her dreams. She intends to reach out to the
media and build the membership beyond parents and teachers
to include the faith and business communities. Markell
announced that outgoing president Lois Jean White agreed to
remain as the chairman of the PTA's struggling urban
initiative.
EPI's
Education Quick Facts
- The number of college students enrolled in distance
learning courses will rise from 710,000 last year to 2.2
million in 2002, according to a report conducted by
International Data Corporation. The proportion of
two-year colleges that offer distance learning courses
will jump from 58 percent last year to 85 percent in
2002; the proportion of four-year institutions offering
distance learning will go from 62 percent to 84 percent
during that period. The proportion of college students
taking distance learning courses will reach 15 percent in
2002, up from 5 percent last year. (Source: University
Continuing Education Association, June, 1999)
- The portion of government workers who are 45 or older
has been steadily climbing: It's now 44 percent. Almost
one in eight government workers is now between the ages
of 55 and 64. The next volley of retirees, those 45 to
54, makes up almost one out of three government
employees, but only about one in five in the private
sector. Workers under 35 make up a little more than one
in four government workers &endash; 27.6 percent in 1998,
as against 43.2 percent of private-sector workers.
(Source: Governing, July 7, 1999)
- In 1999, ...$832 million in equity has been or is
being raised by education companies. Only $639 million
total was raised in 1998. (Source: The Education
Industry Report, July 1999)
- The NEA increased its Unified Legal Services Program
(ULSP) by $1 million, bringing the total budget to
$28,332,925 for Fiscal Year 1999-2000. (Source: NEA
1998-2000 Strategic Plan and Budget, July 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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