Last week, my organization praised the Indiana lawmakers for passing some of the nation’s most significant education reforms. In one of Education Action Group’s weekly newsletters, we said that Indiana’s new voucher program and its decision to lift the cap
The White House visitor logs reveal a lot of things. For example, there are a heckuva lot of people that like to bowl at the White House lanes. Also, Richard Trumka had an Oval Office meeting with the president on
Earlier this year, Education Action Group released a chart documenting the 15 separate steps involved in firing a tenured teacher in the state of New Jersey. The process involves a months-long investigation followed by a trial which can last a
Consider the following statement: “The National Education Association’s decision on Friday to begin the formal process of endorsing President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign may be the most vivid demonstration to date of the political benefits of the stimulus package passed
Of all the states currently working on serious education reform, Indiana may deserve the gold medal. Gov. Mitch Daniels and state Superintendent Tony Bennett fearlessly led the charge to dramatically reform the state’s education system. “Are we about funding the
The U.S. Department of Education has been gobbling up more turf over the last several years, issuing mandates and pushing a one-size-fits-all set of standards. Now the most disturbing move is to implement a national K-12 education curriculum. What’s wrong
I have been advised that my recent characterization of Dr. Stephen Hicks was inaccurate and that he is not, in fact, a “Marxist educator.” My conclusion was drawn upon a series of videos in which he discussed Marxism and education.
Useful idiots. That’s what Vladmir Lenin called western sympathizers of the Soviet cause. He must have been smiling from his cave in Hell Sunday when he saw the Soviet flag – and Communist Party signs – being carried in honor
Congratulations to President Obama for the gutsy call regarding the killing of Osama bin Laden. I didn’t know he had it in him. His campaign pledge of going into Pakistan unannounced – once met with derision by John McCain and
Far left teachers have young minds captured for 6 hours a day and work subtly to fill them with Marxist and radical ideas. That’s what a New York City teacher explained [see the video here] at the recent socialist Left
Public schools continue to be a battleground in the culture war, as the education establishment – composed primarily of leftists bent on political correctness – gains more ground. This strain treats Christianity and its holidays as a pariah, while embracing
We continue to hear the rhetoric from teachers unions and others in the education establishment that we need to “invest” more in America’s public schools. Want smarter, better-prepared kids, the teacher unions ask? Give us more money! (And get the
One of the things I’ve always liked about charter schools is they aren’t bound by onerous labor agreements that hamper innovation. Traditional public schools get boxed in with union contracts that literally stipulate when a teacher arrives in the morning
In promotion of his excellent book, “Righteous Indignation,” Andrew Breitbart appeared on MSNBC with host Martin Bashir. At one point in the interview, I was sure Ashton Kutcher was going to jump on the set to reveal that the pathetic
As state governments continue to grapple with labor and legacy costs, we’ve seen government employee unions respond with massive rallies and publicity stunts. Some union bigs have even threatened to turn their job into a “weapon.” Case in point, of
Teach for America has been a breath of fresh air in some of America’s worst schools. The program, founded 20 years ago, recruits the best and brightest college graduates to commit to being teachers for at least two years in
When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker curtailed collective bargaining privileges for public sector workers (formerly known as public servants), it resulted in all-out political war in Madison. Walker won the showdown, and now the state can get its financial house in
In his song, “With God On Our Side,” Bob Dylan pondered just whose side God was on in conflict and war. In Michigan, union sympathizers think it’s theirs. Strangely, I’ve never found the words “collective bargaining” or “pension” in the
The Fraternal Order of Police isn’t happy that their union brethren in California recently passed a resolution in support of cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. Now sitting on death row for executing Philadelphia policeman Daniel J. Faulkner, Mumia has become a rallying
It’s becoming clearer that the “public service” mentality is quickly slipping way from government employees, if it didn’t hit the exits a long time ago. Instead of government employees serving the public, it’s clear now their belief is that the
Several months ago, Education Action Group published a scathing exposé on the Wisconsin Education Association Council-affiliated WEA Trust, a union-contrived insurance entity that is forced upon the majority of Wisconsin schools during collective bargaining negotiations. It is difficult to determine
We continue to hear from teachers unions and the rest of the education establishment that if public schools aren’t up to par, it’s because they’re “underfunded.” That’s natural response from the adults – 80% of every education dollar goes to
No wonder Chicago Public Schools have a dropout rate near 50%: now the government school system is telling kids what to eat. Fearing that mother’s lunches will be inferior to bureaucrats’, Chicago schools are now banning lunches brought from home.
The public has a right to know who or what is influencing its government. Open Records and Freedom of Information laws are critical to ensuring a transparent and accountable government. Taxpayers deserve to know how their hard-earned money is being
The Michigan Education Association is growing more pathetic by the day. The union is beginning to act like the crazy drunk uncle at the Christmas party – spilling his drink on himself and acting rudely to the point where others
If for no other reason, you have to admire the tenacity of some legislative leaders to look out for the interests of their teacher union sponsors. The Idaho House of Representatives was debating a bill that would eliminate the cap
Bill Ayers, the one-time domestic terrorist who, along with his colleagues in the Weather Underground, bombed government buildings, now wants us to believe the government is the answer to all our problems. I suppose that’s what happens when your friend
I believe there is a difference between rank-and-file teachers and the leadership of radical teachers’ unions. The trouble is, the rank-and-file sits idly by as the radicals embarrass them, time and time again. Perhaps we’ve reached the point where the
Why did the state of Wisconsin bother to have an election last November? To look at the results, you would think the voters had spoken clearly. They elected a Republican governor and legislature, based on the promise that they would
The far left has attempted to portray their elderly hero, Frances Fox Piven, as a lonely shut-in who spends her time knitting mittens and eating Werther’s Originals in her New York apartment. But the truth is that age has not
The Obama administration, principally the president and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, are now routinely making public statements which are leading to one conclusion: instead of fixing American education, we should dumb down the standards. According to the Associated Press, President
Apparently Gov. Scott Walker knew exactly what he was doing. Before he signed the bill limiting collective bargaining privileges, teachers unions throughout the state were slow to respond to calls for salary and benefit concessions. They believed their members should
This week the Michigan Education Association encouraged its local affiliates to consider whether the union should have the power to consider “job actions” – code words for a sick-out, strike, or other childish antics – to get its way in
Union leaders can dress it up and use innocuous-sounding phrases like ” voluntary consumer activism,” but the bottom line is that Wisconsin’s unions are now resorting to thug-like behavior against political opponents, real or imagined. The state’s largest teachers union,
Being vocal about the need for serious education reform means you must face a few arrows heading your way from teachers’ unions and the educational establishment. Both have a lot to lose if a student-centered education system emerges. Education Action
Last year, even as education reformers all across the country were turning cartwheels in celebration of Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” I remained skeptical. I’ve been keeping tabs on the teacher unions for years, and understand how they work hand-in-glove
Last year, even as education reformers all across the country were turning cartwheels in celebration of Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” I remained skeptical. I’ve been keeping tabs on the teacher unions for years, and understand how they work hand-in-glove
Disingenuous filmmaker Michael Moore is using the Wisconsin public labor dispute as a tool to get his bulbous head back in front of the TV cameras. He held up handcuffs during Rachel Maddow’s nightly left-wing rant on MSNBC. He wants
Teacher tenure is considered holy gospel in most of America’s public schools. But this policy does nothing for children, and tends to protect teachers who don’t necessarily deserve job security. Why is it we never hear stories about tenure protecting
Suppose you’re a college student who is about to begin searching for a summer job. You’ve spent the past few semesters taking classes in “The Spirituality of Running” and “The Mythic Rhetoric of the American Superhero*,” so you feel adequately