Monday, July 03, 2006

News From the NEA Convention

My mole at the convention hasn't contacted me, so like the rest of the world I must get my information straight from the Education Intelligence Agency. NBI stands for "new business item".

NBI 33 reads, "NEA will create a committee to explore joining with other associations and organizations interested in public education with the purpose of creating, using the NEA website, a website dedicated to defending public education from negative propaganda in the media."

As Yoda might say: "Do, or do not. There is no 'create a committee to explore.'"


I guess the education-textbook complex never issues propaganda.

* I just liked the vocabulary used in NBI 35, which calls on NEA to educate its members about NCLB and instruct them "in the necessary steps to impede its reauthorization."

Yes, because that's what a good teacher should be doing.

* NBI 39 calls on NEA to publish an open letter to President Bush and the U.S. Congress under the headline "Support our Troops and Their Families – Bring the Troops Home Now." Apparently top-down mandates from non-practitioners are OK when it comes to national defense. Maybe the troops should be consulted before anything is done in their name.

Hear hear! How many times must I say it--consistency is not a strong suit of the left.

Here are a few suggested amendments to the union's legislative program:

* Legislative Amendment 6 would put NEA on record in opposition to voter identification at polling places.


Of course! Because voting is too important to restrict it to only legal, living, American voters.

* Legislative Amendment 8 would have NEA call for the repeal of NCLB.

* Legislative Amendment 10 directs NEA to call on the federal government to restore the old dates for Daylight Savings Time.


Because that's an important component of Darren's pay, benefits, and working conditions.

You people who continue to be NEA members--how long can you put up with this? Surely cognitive dissonance will affect you eventually.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Darren I just wanted to thank-you for reminding me that these issues are necessary for me to make sure that my 7 and 8 year old are able to read, write, do math, manipulate the voting process, and of course participate in an "informed" way in our political processes.

Thanks for keeping me on track!

Darren said...

Not quite sure if you're being sarcastic here or not, Eric. Read this blog long enough and you *know* that I'm usually sarcastic!

Anonymous said...

Gotta ask...why is the NEA interested in Time Zones?

Ellen K said...

So when is the NEA going to be treated like every other lobbyist group? Frankly as a teacher, I am tired of their claiming that they speak for me. And that's the problem. They go to Washington, claim to support teachers and then moves are made to act on their claims. Nobody is there supporting the majority of teachers that don't blindly follow the NEA's misguided rulings. Just another reason why I don't belong anymore.

Anonymous said...

Have a manual trackback.

Darren said...

MikeAT, I answered your question in my post--because they've got to concern themselves with anything *but* what a union *should* be looking after, which is the pay, benefits, and working conditions of its members (or in my case, non-members who are still required by law to give them money).

Darius said...

There sure are worse things going on RIGHT now than the NEA...

Darren said...

Yes, so what's your point? What do *you* think *I* should write about, Darius? This is (primarily) an education blog.