Josh Greenman of the New York Daily News writes today that President Obama has been terrific on education reform issues: he has challenged teachers’ unions, pushed for merit pay, encouraged the expansion of charter schools, and used billions of dollars in stimulus funds (via Race to the Top) to promote an agenda that either President Bush would envy. In its editorials, the Daily News has stridently defended charters, testing, and accountability, and has led the charge against the teachers’ union. The billionaire owner of the Daily News, Mort Zuckerman, is on the board of the Broad Foundation, which avidly promotes school closings and privatization.
So imagine Josh’s disappointment that the President is now kowtowing to those teachers unions and saying that more money will solve the problems. He writes, “So count me disappointed that Obama is campaigning for reelection with education rhetoric that is ripped right out of a dusty old Democratic Party playbook.” Wow. A Democratic President actually sounding like a Democrat on education.
Josh wonders why the President doesn’t stick up for his strong testing-and-accountabiilty and school choice agenda. Why doesn’t he boldly admit that his program is not all that different from Romney’s? (There are two big issues where they differ: Romney supports vouchers, Obama doesn’t; Obama wants to help students with their crushing student loans, Romney doesn’t.) UPDATE: (One other major difference: Romney thinks anyone should be allowed to teach, without any certification or standards, and you can bet that he will continue the Republican assault on teachers’ unions.)
Josh implies that the President is reaching out to teachers and their unions and supporters of public education because–guess what?–it is an election year. With a few more eloquent speeches, maybe he can persuade them that his agenda has some resemblance to the traditional Democratic view that schools should have adequate resources, that teachers have a right to bargain collectively, that the federal government has a responsibility to promote equity (not competition), and that school choice is the rightwing plan to privatize the public schools.
Well, it is good to hear the rhetoric. That’s a change. We can always hope that he means it. But that, of course, would mean ditching Race to the Top and all that absurd rightwing rhetoric about how schools can fix poverty, all by themselves.
Romney is on record for opposing Common Core and letting the states deal with standards. That ends Race to the Top which targets teachers.
Obama says one thing but does something entirely different. So of course he’s going to pander to the unions.
Romney is also known for flip-flopping, so it’s a gamble with him. But since he’s on record for opposing the all out assault on teachers through Race to the Top/Common Core, it should be noted.
Does this mean he is a fan of the union heads that stabbed the teachers in the back? I wouldn’t say that either. He just has no reason to pander to them. They aren’t funding his campaign.
When will we learn NOT to give these people this kind of power ? We just become slaves to this political system.
Romney’s agenda is an all-out assault on teachers.
He thinks that anyone should be able to teach without any certification or standards.
Again, I ask you why on earth the teachers (and union reps) are NOT out there getting these guys OUT of their classroom??
How much more evidence does everyone need before they figure out who is creating the problem in education?
Romney will crush education unions. He will back an all-out assault on teachers through the demonization and destruction of their unions. He is not a gamble. He is BAD for public education.
I resent MOMwithabrain commenting about what did or did not happen to teachers. No back-stabbing. Just more BS rhetoric.
I am not one of the WE to whom MOM refers.
Then WHY is the NEA backing Obama? This is an all out assault on teachers via Race to the Top.
How much money did Gates give to the PTA’s and Unions?? I think about 6 Million pay off??
Missing Person Report
Last Seen Wearing ________ Uncomfortable Shoes
Location and Date _________ Spartanburg, South Carolina, 3 Nov 2007
Last Heard Exclaiming, ‘ere he drove out of sight:
“And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I’ll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.”
Does that include the Rhode Island teachers he agreed should be fired for no reason?
Education will end poverty, but that will also end the Republican party as we know it today. Pointing out that their policies only lead to poorer educational outcomes and enrichment of corporate entities only encourages them that they are pursuing the right path.
I think it’s important that someone like Greenman, a supporter of so-called reform, is out there saying the truth–that on many crucial ed. issues Obama and Romney see eye to eye. From the eye of a longtime teacher, I see little choice here.
Finally, an educator calling out Obama/Duncan! I have been scratching my head wondering what NEA was thinking when they endorsed Obama! His education plan is as some have said, NCLB on steroids. I have taught for over 25 years and have watched how excruciatingly slow change can be.Yet, the RTTT and CCSS initiatives have moved at warp speed and, not too mention being written by a policy wonk who has never taught. The Obama/Duncan eduction agenda is driven by big money, and is on track to further dismantle public education as we know it. The art of teaching and teacher evaluation will never be the same. Venture capitalists are pouring money into education start ups, professional development is being packaged and sold at exorbitant prices, union leaders continue to swallow the grape koolaid. Diane, you are so right …when will we learn not to give these people this kind of power? When will teachers stop handing over their union dues and challenge their leaders to push back?
Just like 2008. Education agenda of “deform” public education rather than transform is agreed-upon by Dems and Repubs, an agenda NOT made with educators.
Let’s face it. Without the unions, Obama is toast. The influence the White House has exerted over public education over the past four years has been much more of a disappointment than NCLB because he should have know better. I agree that the unions share a lot of the blame here, because they’ve lost their ability to operate in the political arena. Unfortunately, the choices for president for the rank and file are bad and (much) worse this year.
Obama is toast. IF he can destroy Romney, he could pull it out. But since he has no record to run on, his only hope is by using the politics of personal destruction.
It’s time to turn your attention to Romney and get teachers out to his campaign stops and ask questions and start to get in on record for his positions.
If you pit him against Obama on some of these reforms that attack teachers, it could help you figure out his plans for education.
I know if I were a teacher and I had the chance to ask him, I’d start by saying I”m a teacher who supports abolishing the U.S. Dept of Ed.
But that’s me 🙂
Let’s face it, without education unions, teachers are toast.
Really, because it doesn’t seem like teachers are doing well with the unions and Obama running education.
The attack on teachers is happening under HIS tenure. It’s part of the Race to the Top package.
Do I trust Romney? I wouldn’t trust any politician to run our schools. But until everyone realizes how destructive these people are to YOUR classrooms, it will continue.
Beg and plead to your master, but until you break away from them, you will always be enslaved.
They simply buy off your union reps.
“Beg and plead to your master, but until you break away from them, you will always be enslaved.
They simply buy off your union reps.”
Teachers union PACs don’t work that way. They organize elected, non-partisan, volunteer committee members who ask candidates questions on education issues and then determine which candidates’ platforms align with union values. If a candidate refuses to answer these questions, that candidate will never get an endorsement.
Obama does not want to disband unions–Romney does. Obama does not want to use public money so that parents can choose private education–Romney does. Obama does not want to lessen the requirements for teacher certification–Romney does. These are the basic reasons why Obama is getting the support from the unions.
No one is buying any union reps off. PAC money is voluntarily given by those who wish to give it–dues do not contribute to this committee’s work.
Maybe you haven’t noticed, but under Obama, the disbanding of unions is happening. Michelle Rhee is a DEMOCRAT.
From POLITICO: “In Rhee, President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had a near perfect partner right in their own backyard.”
If you don’t think Obama wants to disband unions, you are simply naive.
As a politician who knows that the union heads can deliver him votes and campaign donations, do you think he’s dumb enough to announce his disdain for teachers?? He’s not that dumb.
No he simply hires ARne Duncan who incorporates attacks on teachers via evaluations.
NCLB went from attacking public schools to Common Core which attacks teachers.
If you are still unaware of what is going on, I’m not sure I can wake you up.
Romney may speak it, but Obama carries it out without advertising it.
Rhee claims to be a Democrat but she advises the nation’s most conservative Republicans.
Her political agenda is rightwing and is not in any way reflective of the core values of the Democratic party.
That’s simply not true. Jeb Bush is HARDLY the poster child for Conservatives!!
Fenty and the D.C. crowd are not Conservatives they are liberal Democrats.
I will say this, she has captured SOME of the RINOs in the Republican party now.
We cannot trust nor depend on any political party to truly put the needs of students first.
Continue to speak out.
Exactly.
Paul Thomas as a good take on this: Educators Have No Political Party,
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/23/1123277/-Educators-Have-No-Political-Party
Teachers, don’t quit!