Jeannie Kaplan tells the story of the recent election in Denver and explains what might have been if the friends of public education had stuck together.
Parent and community activists backed a slate of four candidates for the seven-person board.
The union backed only two candidates, including a “reformer.”
Only one pro-public education candidate won.
This was an unnecessary setback.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Parent and community activists backed candidates who supported public education, but the union only helped two of them, one of them with a history of lauding privatization, etc., resulting in an overall win for ed deformers. Huh. Sounds a lot like what just happened in Los Angeles.
What a travesty! With friends like that, who needs enemies? Have the biggest unions been infiltrated? My union rep supports admin, constant, high stakes, standardized testing and tracking, and verbally attacks teachers and students privately and publicly. Something definitely doesn’t smell right.
P.S., Diane,
A comment I made on another of today’s posts was sent to moderation.
I took the grandchildren to see a matinee performance of CATS. Wonderful!
Nice! Cats and grandchildren are an excellent combination, as long as they’re not being auctioned off… I know you’re very busy.
YES. You are exactly describing long, long years of fighting for professional self-respect, creative autonomy and the right to instruct children effectively: “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”
That’s the sucky unions for you. . . . No wonder they are under demise.
The new “union label” : FACTORY CLOSED AND MOVED TO CHINA. The labor unions killed Detroit, we are all driving Japanese cars, or cars made by Japanese corporations in non-union right-to-work states.
Charles,
Germany has a prosperous economy, the most dynamic in Europe. It has held on to its industries. It has kept its labor unions. Why? Because having a healthy society matters more than greed. Ever think of that?
I lived in Germany (1976-1978). I have seen the “miracle of Germany”, up close and personal. The post-war economy of The Federal Republic of Germany, was initiated by the Marshall Plan, and paid for by the US taxpayer. The defense costs of Germany, were also paid by the US taxpayer.
There are many great things that the Germans do, that we should emulate. Especially, the excellent apprenticeship program, that German industry has for the non-college bound. There is no stigma attached to being a skilled technician in the Federal Republic.
If the Germans can make their unions work, to protect their workers, that is great.
Charles,
Unions are never the problem. Corrupt unions who ignore their workers’ plights, equitable distribution of wealth , and labor rights are the problem. That’s what makes the AFT and Randi Weingarten a horror story.
Diane is right in saying that unionized Germany is a very successful democracy compared to the joke of a nation here in the States. Germany has the right idea and is living it! Far from great or perfect, but far more humanistic than the plutocratic USA.
Grow up, Charles . . . .