Education Experts Criticize Teacher Unions
Washington, DC - (May 6) Today, Colorado Congressman Tom
Tancredo (R-6th), a former high school teacher, and several
education experts expressed their high regard to teachers
during Teacher Appreciation Week. But while teachers
received praise, teacher unions did not.
Tancredo said "Despite egregious contract provisions,
unsavory political activities, and anti-parental involvement
policies of the National Education Association and American
Federation of Teachers, our nation is blessed with a
wonderfully dedicated teaching force. But it cannot reach
its finest hour when more than 70 percent of public school
teachers are working pursuant to restrictive teacher union
contracts."
Speakers identified three areas in which the teacher
unions hinder teachers who strive for excellence in their
classrooms. David Kirkpatrick, expanded on the research done
by Howard L. Fuller, George A. Mitchell, and Michael E.
Hartmann in their study of "The Milwaukee Public Schools'
Teacher Union Contract." Kirkpatrick advanced several other
concerns about teacher union contract provisions which
interfere with teachers' performance. As a former president
of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, Kirkpatrick
also drew from experiences in his own background.
As sponsor of the press conference, Charlene K. Haar,
President of the Education Policy Institute, questioned
several specific political activities of the NEA and AFT.
She related how the teacher unions use member dues to
support Democratic candidates, political causes and issues
detrimental to classroom teachers. Haar said "Member dues
'donated' to organizations like People for the American Way,
the National Organization for Women, and gay and lesbian
alliances certainly don't improve the quality of teaching,
empower teachers, or improve a teacher's ability to use
technology as a classroom tool. On the contrary, using dues
for these and other political activities undermine teachers.
Haar has written extensively about the teacher unions.
Virginia Walden elaborated on the theme that the NEA and
AFT are roadblocks to excellence in teaching. "Teacher
unions project the idea that parents cannot or should not
contribute to how children are taught," she said. "That
attitude trickles down and creates an unspoken conflict that
prevents teachers from working with parents in a way that
would effectively benefit children," Walden remarked. A
former teacher, Walden works with parents in the District of
Columbia.
George W. Liebmann recognized that "There are many good
teachers in the public schools, but those who want to escape
from the system will find it difficult. He offered the
possibility of reforming the workforce from within, an
option that is likely to work only in small school districts
and counties. Elsewhere, teacher union opposition will keep
teachers in line and uncooperative, he said. Included among
the solutions Liebmann raised were legislation to permit a
variety of new types of alternative schools.
Liebmann, an attorney and author of "The Agreement: How
Federal, State and Union Regulations Are Destroying Public
Education in Maryland," also stressed the importance of
board control at each school and alternatives to the current
teacher certification requirements.
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