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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 10 -- October
1999
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Focusing on
Education Reforms at Your School, in Your State
Legislature, and in Congress
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Al
Gore Wins Early Skirmish for Big Labor's War Chest
Not since 1983 has the AFL-CIO endorsed a presidential
candidate this early in an election cycle. Even then, its
endorsement of Vice President Albert Gore, the Democratic
candidate being mightily challenged by former Senator Bill
Bradley, was not unanimous. During his seven years in the
Senate, Gore voted the pro-union position 88 percent of the
time; Bradley's record is nearly as solid, voting pro-union
86 percent of the time. In lobbying for union support, Gore
confirmed that he is "pro-labor" and "pro-collective
bargaining."
In a clear schism between private and public sector
unions, two powerful private sector AFL-CIO unions -- the
Teamsters and the United Auto Workers -- refused to endorse
Gore. Teamsters' president James P. Hoffa asserted that "Our
members have made it clear they don't want to be told how to
vote. They want voting information, not instruction. They
want to know how the candidates we endorse will affect their
lives and, at this time, we still don't know that, between
these two candidates."
The AFL-CIO endorsement revealed a basic difference
between public and private sector unions. Private sector
unions are keenly aware of the realities of competitive
pricing and the effect of competition on their jobs. This
recognition is a strong contrast to the undisciplined
demands of government workers, such as teachers, who do not
work in a competitive environment. Their demands usually
require higher taxes which may raise their salaries and
benefits, but it disadvantages private sector workers and
their families who must pay the tax increases. A double-blow
to all workers is the higher price of the products and
services, often making them less competitive and
jeopardizing jobs.
Of approximately 96 million workers in the private sector
in 1998, about 9.5 percent, or 9,120,000, were unionized.
Statistics from 1998 indicate that of the 18 million
government employees that year, 37.5 percent, or 6.7
million, were members of various unions.
Although NEA/AFT mergers have been implemented in three
states, the National Education Association has not yet
merged with the AFT at the national level or with the
AFL-CIO. As the nation's largest public sector union, the
NEA's national leadership also endorsed Gore in the
Democratic presidential primary. NEA and NEA's PAC Council
will make a separate recommendation for the general
election. In announcing the endorsement, NEA president Bob
Chase said Gore had fought for extended school programs,
full-funding of Head Start, and support for public schools
and education employees. Therefore, Chase said, it would
have been "inappropriate to back away" from Gore.
One of the AFL-CIO's largest public sector unions, the
million-member American Federation of Teachers endorsed Gore
more than a week ago. AFT president Sandra Feldman said Gore
has a lifetime of passionate support for education, citing
Gore's support for raising standards for students, teachers
and public schools. At the conclusion of her statement,
Feldman said, "Starting today, AFT members across the
country will roll up their sleeves to ensure that Al Gore's
vision for America becomes a reality."
If past actions are any indication, it is highly unlikely
that either the NEA or AFT labor organizations have waited
until now to "roll up their sleeves" for their favored
candidate. Both national unions assign staff members to
serve in the campaigns of the endorsed presidential
candidate. It is not unusual for the NEA and AFT to divert
millions of dollars from member dues to provide staff to
organize campaign activities, solicit volunteers, register
voters, and develop political strategies. In addition, staff
from state and local NEA and AFT affiliates will be deployed
into other targeted campaigns.
Because of the early endorsements of Gore and the
momentum of the Bradley campaign, we can also expect the NEA
and the AFL-CIO unions to play a huge role in determining
the delegates to the Democratic national convention.
Already, labor unions have allocated $46 million to
influencing the 2000 elections -- and that doesn't count the
millions that will come from union political action
committees (PACs).
With early primaries looming, union endorsements and
financing are in place to maximize the union influence.
Characteristically, the AFT and the AFL-CIO overwhelmingly
prefer Democratic candidates over Republican candidates --
from the school house to the White House; so does the NEA
and its PAC, despite its claims to be a bipartisan
organization. Union members and union observers should take
note.
New
Mexico Governor Determined to Bring Educational Competition
to State
With the clock ticking down on his second term, New
Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is on a mission to bring
competition to public schools. Gov. Johnson doesn't want
just an interim step like charter schools, or even a small
pilot voucher program. He wants the end goal: vouchers for
the parents of every school-age student in America. As he
spoke to an audience at the Heritage Foundation on October
4, a national Internet audience tuned in as well.
For starters, Gov. Johnson discussed changing public
opinion in New Mexico; 60 percent (up from 40 percent) now
favor statewide vouchers. This Republican governor hopes the
public can convince the legislative candidates (all seats
are up in 2000) that vouchers for all 330,000 students in
New Mexico will improve the state's education system. The
$3,500 voucher could be spent at any public or private
school, including schools for profit. Only home schools
would be ineligible for the state-funded voucher.
In a matter of a few minutes, Gov. Johnson ticked off the
list of usual questions and criticisms of vouchers,
responding promptly with logical, practical, and legal
reasons why vouchers are essential to bring competition to
the present system. "There are no incentives to improve," he
charged. "Bring competition to public schools!" With
competition, some teachers will get paid more; poor teachers
should lose their jobs. For those teachers who fear they
will be paid less, he advised looking at the private sector
which pays more for excellence.
"For a lot of kids, attending public school is a daily
sentence. Why aren't we testing for competencies and getting
kids out early? With competition, some schools could
complete a rigorous curriculum in nine years, leaving more
resources for those who need more time," said Gov. Johnson.
He asked, "Why is the government prescribing the model when
competition should be doing it?" He stressed that parents
must have a variety of educational opportunities for their
children. Opportunities are not available under the current
system of government monopoly schools.
Gov. Johnson's business background as owner-operator,
with his wife, of a commercial and industrial construction
company has been a strong influence in his decision to seek
competition for the education system. Nevertheless, he said,
"business has acted abominably, in fact is even wishy-washy"
on vouchers. He suggested that too often they have adopted
the Democratic (that is teacher union) solution of spending
more on public education despite the absence of improvement
in public schools.
Reelected in 1998, Gov. Gary Johnson is the first
governor of New Mexico elected to two consecutive terms. As
an accomplished triathlete, his campaign to bring
competition to education through vouchers is a challenge he
accepts and relishes. It's a pleasure to hear a governor who
understands what is needed and has set his sights on
achieving it.
GLSEN
Conference Attacks "Wingers"
"Wingers," otherwise known as the "religious right," were
attacked frequently at the recently concluded Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) national conference
in Atlanta.
Deanna Duby, of the National Education Association (NEA),
explained that "the fear of the religious right is that the
schools of today are the governments of tomorrow." She
added, "And you know what, they're right."
According to Conservative News Service reporter Justin
Torres, activists gave tips on "issues such as homosexuality
in sex education classes, homosexual literature in school
libraries, school-sponsored homosexual student groups, and
cross-dressing among 'transgen-dered' students, as well as
fighting 'parental rights' amendments and the elimination of
sex education."
Center
for Education Information Reports
on "The Making of a Teacher"
While the accepted political rhetoric claims a massive
and increasing teacher shortage, a new Center for Education
Information (CEI) study shows this claim to be highly
questionable at best. CEI's C. Emily Feistritzer says her
study, and even U.S. Department of Education statistics,
show a dramatic increase in teacher candidates over the past
15 years. Many of these candidates, however, are comprised
of "former teachers coming back into the profession,
teachers moving from district to district, and from private
schools to public schools."
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data
shows that "of the 139,000 'new' public school teachers
hired in 1993-94 (the latest year available), fewer than
half (42 percent) had just finished a college program and
had never taught before."
The CEI study also indicates a growing number of working
professionals are now opting to return for
post-baccalaureate training to gain teaching credentials in
their field(s) of expertise.
The following items highlight some of the results from
CEI's study (which can be found at http://www.ncei.com).
- The 1990s have seen a sharp rise in the number of
individuals studying to be teachers in the United States.
In the last 15 years, the number of new teacher graduates
jumped 49 percent &endash; from 134,870 in 1983 to
200,545 in 1998.
- One-half (49 percent) of persons who completed an
undergraduate program prepared to teach at the secondary
school level had a degree in a field other than
education. One in three (29 percent) individuals who
completed an undergraduate program prepared to teach in
elementary school had a degree in a field other than
education. At the middle school preparation level, 69
percent of the post-baccalaureate candidates and
one-third of the undergraduates had degrees in fields
other than education.
- More than half (55 percent) of the individuals who
were admitted into teacher preparation programs at the
post-baccalaureate level within the last year were
transitioning into teaching from an occupation outside
the field of education. More than one in 10 (11 percent)
of those admitted into teacher preparation programs at
the undergraduate level were transitioning into teaching
from an occupation outside the field of education.
- More than one-third (36 percent) of persons admitted
into teacher preparation programs at the
post-baccalaureate level and 14 percent of those admitted
as undergraduates within the past year had prior
teaching-related experience, such as substitute teacher,
teacher's aide, or school paraprofessional.
- The shift over time in credit hours required for
completion of a teacher preparation program has been
toward requiring more courses in non-education courses,
such as the candidate's teaching major or equivalent.
There has also been a slight shift toward more credit
hours in clinical experiences and fewer in professional
studies.
Labor College Makes
Union Activists Degree Holders
In today's politically correct world, the National Labor
College is a good example of educational inflation and the
decline of higher education. Located on a 47-acre campus in
Silver Spring, MD, the George Meany Center for Labor Studies
graduated its first class in 1997. Several of the 88
graduates represented international unions and are still
employed by those unions &endash;now as a degree-holding
union leader.
Although not yet accredited, authorities in higher
education for the State of Maryland recognized the Labor
College in 1997. Since 1974, when the George Meany Center
for Labor Studies opened its campus, the center has hosted a
degree granting program from Antioch University, a program
which is still available.
Both the Antioch program and the Labor College programs
incorporate and accept union training and other life
experiences, turning them into college credit. A Bachelor of
Arts degree with a major in Labor Studies requires 120
semester hours of credit. However, some union
apprenticeships, such as those in the Sheet Metal Workers'
union which may involve four or five years of union
training, can earn up to 48 semester hours of credit. Of the
remaining credits, a student can take some electives and a
few five-credit required classes.
Meeting some basic skills is also required for the degree
in the seven program areas of labor studies, labor
education, labor safety and health, labor history, labor
organizational and dynamics and growth, political economics
of labor, and union leadership and administration.
Officials at the National Labor College indicated that
graduates are continuing to work in various capacities
within the trade union movement, but no definitive data was
available.
EPI's
Education Quick Facts
- The Center for the Analysis of Commercialism in
Education reports an 11 percent increase in the number of
citations related to schoolhouse commercialism between
1997-98 and 1998-99. Since 1990, the center says,
commercial activities in schools increased by 303
percent. (Source: School Board News,
National School Boards Association, September 28, 1999)
- The College Board reported today [October 5, 1999]
that college tuition and fees for the 1999-2000 academic
year increased by an average of less than 5 percent over
last year, the lowest rate of increase for the past four
years. The College Board also announced that a record $64
billion in financial aid was available in the 1998-1999
academic year. (Source: Flash Points,
Council for Advancement and Support of Education, October
5, 1999)
- For the first time ever, the U.S. Labor and Education
departments have awarded $1.1 million in School-to-Work
grants to unions split three ways between the Electrical
Workers, the Teamsters, and the Laborers-Associated
General Contractors Education and Training Fund. (Source:
Convention Briefs, AFL-CIO, October 13,
1999)
- A cost-benefit analysis reveals that an average of
$546 spent per home school student yields an average 85th
percentile ranking on test scores [in Pennsylvania].
Compare this to the average expenditure of $5,325 per
public school student to achieve only an average 50th
percentile ranking. (Source: Homeschooling
Report, Special Edition of Pennsylvania Families
and Schools, Pennsylvania Families Institute)
- If the NEA's wish list [based on the NEA's
Legislative Program for the 106th Congress] were enacted
in its entirety, the federal budget would bloat by $906
billion per year. This amounts to a federal spending
increase of over 60 percent, and could require a
permanent annual tax hike of $7,490 per taxpayer.
(Source: National Taxpayers Union Foundation
News, October 19, 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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