The Center for Union Facts (which brought us such memorable 30-second video gems as this and this) hasn't made a name for itself by being bland, demure, or run-of-the-mill. Therefore, it was hardly surprising to see them unveil the new Teachers Union Exposed website, complete with a sponsored contest that promises "to pay the ten worst union-protected teachers in America $10,000 apiece to get out of the classroom." Of course, $10,000 is a bargain compared to the princely sums sometimes paid to dismiss the worst-offending or poorest-performing tenured teachers. I have many, many friends who currently are teachers - traditional public school, charter school, private school - and I know plenty more who have spent time in the teaching … [Read more...]
Denver’s School Autonomy Push Reaches New York Times Opinion Page
The local story that has grown out of the Bruce Randolph School's quest for autonomy from Denver's red tape and union work rules reached the op-ed pages of the New York Times yesterday. Andrew Rotherham, a center-left Democrat reformer who co-runs Education Sector and famously blogs as Eduwonk, writes in the column:While laws like No Child Left Behind take the rhetorical punches for being a straitjacket on schools, it is actually union contracts that have the greatest effect over what teachers can and cannot do. These contracts can cover everything from big-ticket items like pay and health care coverage to the amount of time that teachers can spend on various activities. Reformers have long argued that this is an impediment to effective … [Read more...]
Dems Push Forward “Wet Noodle” Anti-Strike Legislation
A bill that would ban strikes for Colorado state workers passed a Senate committee yesterday, reports the Denver Post - all unleashed by the stroke of Gov. Bill Ritter's pen. Today's article omits the significant detail, so it's incumbent upon this blogger to remind you that the Democrat proposal is weak and ineffectual. Colorado Senate News features the best commentary on the bill:"Obviously, this bill wouldn't have been introduced at all if Republicans hadn't urged the governor to do the right thing and assure taxpayers their vital public services wouldn't be jeopardized by the threat of a strike," the GOP's Sen. Bill Cadman, of Colorado Springs, said after the committee vote. "Unfortunately, what we got from the governor and his … [Read more...]
Here’s Your Chance to Hear the Scoop on Unions in Colorado
If you missed my live online radio interview earlier today on Gov. Ritter and Colorado union issues, you can still listen to the show. The one-hour edition of RighTalk radio's "Leave Us Alone" program will replay every hour up to noon local time tomorrow (Thursday, February 21). So you can head over now to RighTalk and hear what you missed. I'm on from about 5 minutes past the hour to 42 minutes past the hour. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Teachers Union Getting Ready to Ask Permission to Run Its Own School
Following the Bruce Randolph and Manual HS episode in Denver, the teachers union now says it has a proposal coming to run its own school:Denver's teachers union plans to submit a proposal this spring to create its own school, hoping to launch a teacher-led demonstration site for how to improve student achievement. "Teachers are supportive of reform," Kim Ursetta, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, said Tuesday. "We have ideas how to improve student achievement and we want an opportunity to put our ideas forward." More power to them. Given an ideal public education system guided by parental/consumer choice where the money followed the child based on need and local schools had autonomy over employment, curriculum, … [Read more...]
Gazette: Colorado Teachers Need to Know Their Choices
In order for me to live up to my "anti-public education" billing from the teachers union, I wanted to bring your attention to a stunningly clear and beautiful editorial today from the Colorado Springs Gazette. Key excerpts follow:Throughout the country, most teachers belong to a chapter of the National Education Association. The Colorado branch is known as the Colorado Education Association, which is broken down by local chapters. Dues exceed $600 a year, which can be tough for teachers supporting families on wages that average $40-some thousand a year. In some school districts, such as D-11 in Colorado Springs, the union assumes membership and takes dues from a teacher’s wages unless the educator jumps through hoops to opt out during … [Read more...]
Ben On Air: Backbone America Podcast, RighTalk Tomorrow
If you missed my guest appearance on Sunday evening's Backbone Radio to discuss the push for autonomy in Denver Public Schools, you can pick up the recorded podcast on their website. Also, don't forget to call in for Wednesday's online radio talk on union issues in Colorado. … [Read more...]
Call in Wednesday to Discuss Gov. Ritter’s Colorado Union Payback
Update: Wednesday's show is also announced here with an invitation to "union thugs" Do you want to chime in about union issues in Colorado - like all the unwelcome fruits of Gov. Ritter's executive order granting union leaders access and power? Then please tune in this Wednesday, February 20, at Noon Mountain Time (2:00 Eastern), to RighTalk's "Leave Us Alone" radio as I join Brian Johnson from the Alliance for Worker Freedom in Washington, DC, to talk about these issues and more. We welcome you to call in live during the broadcast at 1-866-884-TALK (8255). Have an opinion about Ritter's union policies? Concerned about union harassment of Colorado state employees? Upset that government employee union leaders don't have to open … [Read more...]
Denver Teachers Union Backs Down on Autonomy Issue
I've been especially hard on the Denver teachers union (DCTA) lately, but when they do something (mostly) right it would be petty and disingenuous of me not to give credit where due. The Rocky Mountain News reports today that DCTA has decided to acquiesce to the requests of Bruce Randolph and Manual High School for autonomy from school district red-tape and negotiated work rules: … [Read more...]
The School Autonomy Roadblock outside Bruce Randolph
My first op-ed for the Boulder-based Colorado Daily appears in today's edition. The topic is the school autonomy movement growing out of events at Bruce Randolph School. I've pasted the entire op-ed below, for fear that the link provided soon will be broken: … [Read more...]
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