In right-to-work states or in communities where union membership is entirely voluntary, teachers and education employees often join their local National Education Association (NEA) affiliate thinking they are advancing their profession and protecting their interests, without the union baggage. Drawn in by the promises of a "united voice" and "dues staying at the state level," busy teachers often get more than they bargained for when joining these self-proclaimed "professional associations."   Continue Reading...

Shadowbosses, released this week, tells a story of intrigue, drama, and corruption and reads like an organized crime novel. Amazingly, it is actually a true story of how public sector labor unions (including teacher unions) are spending member dues and controlling the political process.   Continue Reading...

In a difficult financial climate where states and school districts are struggling to buy supplies and fund educational programs, it might come as a shock to hard-working teachers to find out that union leaders are raking in astronomical salaries on par with that of the average corporate CEO. According to several reports, NEA and AFT leaders–both nationally and statewide–are pulling in nearly half a million dollars apiece each year.   Continue Reading...

“Are teachers or anyone in the private sector experiencing those increases in times of financial hardship?" AAE Executive Director Gary Beckner featured in FoxNews.com article about union boss salaries being nearly 10 times that of the average teacher:   Continue Reading...

In the new age of education and labor reform across the country, many teachers have expressed concern over their rights without lengthy union contracts and collective bargaining agreements in place. While teacher unions warn of the "dangers" without these cumbersome union negotiated tools, they fail to mention that the majority of the states in the country have a thriving teacher workforce protected by state and federal laws free from collectively bargained contracts.   Continue Reading...

Compulsory unionism and the ability of teacher unions to forcibly collect union dues from teacher paychecks has been a hot topic in recent years. From Wisconsin to Ohio, education stakeholders have debated the topic in high-profile legislative and legal battles with clear national implications. Just last Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court made it more difficult for public-employee unions to extract special fee assessments from non-members for expenses such as ballot battles in a clear step forward for teacher freedoms.   Continue Reading...

This week's recall election has thrust union special interests and teacher freedoms back into the national dialogue like never before. After a bitter campaign and an estimated $60 million spent on election efforts, the commanding win for Governor Walker illustrates an overwhelming shift in public opinion against teachers unions. As the dust settles on this historic election, it's no coincidence that according to a new public opinion poll, teacher unions nationally are reaching all-time low approval levels.   Continue Reading...

Education reform news service, Choice Media, today posted a cartoon lampooning the teacher union special interests and their aversion to all things school choice. "Running out of Ideas" parodies a union board meeting where the characters are desperately clinging to their monopoly interests using the same old arguments against school reform and innovation.   Continue Reading...

Funds for Early Learning Earmarked in Competitive Grant Program The Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services

announced last week that $133 million from the 2012 Race to the Top program will be available so that additional states can make investments in comprehensive early learning education reform.   Continue Reading...

Chicago has been an education reform epicenter ever since newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel took the reins in January 2011. Everything from length of school day to teacher pay have been hot topics of late; however, last week the issue hit critical mass as teacher union leaders called on educators throughout the city to ditch their classes in favor of blocking Mayer Emanuel's reforms.   Continue Reading...

A recent report by the union watchdog group, the Education Intelligence Agency, sheds new light on the financial disclosures of the American Federation of Teachers in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The analysis reveals that the AFT spent an astonishing $7.8 million of member dues on a wide array of left-leaning advocacy groups, charities, and big labor organizations–more than triple the amount spent last year.   Continue Reading...

Since the labor battles of 2011 and the growing push for education reform nationwide, pundits and education experts from across the political spectrum have predicted massive membership and financial losses for teacher labor unions in the coming years. While there have been media reports about union lay-offs and budget shortfalls, new data for the Bureau of Labor Statistics sheds light on total membership losses by percentage in some very unlikely states.   Continue Reading...

In the wake of last year's labor battles in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, 2012 is shaping up to mark a new era in curtailed teacher union power. While it might seem difficult to believe that the National Education Association and its state affiliates, at their peak a $1.5 billion annual powerhouse, could be suffering from money troubles, new evidence suggests deep trouble for the NEA and state affiliates.   Continue Reading...

Today, February 1, 2012, students, parents, teachers, state leaders and education advocates from across the country are celebrating the first ever Digital Learning Day! This day recognizes the power of digital learning to improve student achievement and transform education for the 21st century. As part of the festivities, governors, education chiefs, lawmakers and policymakers across the nation are marking this day by making a commitment to fostering digital learning for students.   Continue Reading...

A new report by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington sheds light on the status of charter school unionization nationwide. In a climate where charter schools laws are changing dramatically and teacher union membership is declining, the prospect of charter schools unionizing has become a very real threat to the flexible, innovative environments these schools were meant to cultivate. This report attempts to analyze the status of unionization by examining why teachers unionize and the diverse collective bargaining agreements of unionized charters, however it misses the mark in addressing the disconnect between the charter movement and bargaining agreements in general.   Continue Reading...

Chicago has been an education reform epicenter ever since newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel took the reins in January. The debate over length of school day and improving outcomes for students have been hot topics of late, however a speech by Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis and her inappropriate comments regarding Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have been gaining national headlines this week.   Continue Reading...

As reported by AAE, a poll released in late summer by Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup highlighted some interesting facts about the changing public perceptions regarding teacher unions. While clearly the American people are seeing the growing disconnect between teachers and unions as evidenced by this poll, the typical American voter is also becoming more and more informed about public education reform and the need for change in our struggling system.   Continue Reading...

Since the class warfare message of the Occupy Wall Street protests started nearly two months ago, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have taken every chance possible to align themselves in solidarity with the group of mostly underemployed college students and left-leaning activists. With AFT President Randi Weingarten joining in on protests and affiliates in Kentucky and Missouri taking part in protests of their own, the teacher unions are quick to point out that "public education, teachers and unions have increasingly come under attack from the One Percent."   Continue Reading...

Last week Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released a large scale bill to reauthorize the current federal education law, No Child Left Behind. Working with Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) on a bipartisan effort to retool the controversial law, the initial proposal heavily mirrored the Obama administration's long-standing blueprint for reauthorization coupled with the NCLB waiver package released last month. However, after emergency lobbying efforts by the NEA and AFT, the bill has taken a drastic turn with regard to teacher accountability, disappointing Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other education reform groups.   Continue Reading...

2011 is shaping up to be the year of education and labor reform nearly nationwide. In March, 48 states were considering labor reform bills on the heels of major Republican gains in state legislatures across the country. What started as legislative progress and meaningful education reform in states like Indiana, Florida, and Idaho, has yielded an unprecedented backlash from unions who are literally fighting for their very survival in long drawn out court battles that are leaving many commonsense policies in limbo.

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