Another Teachers’ Union Could Call For Obama’s Education Secretary To Resign

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jacobfischler/another-teachers-union-might-call-for-obamas-education-secre

<snip>

The American Federation of Teachers’ annual convention starts this week, and though a resolution is not in the cards just yet, union president Randi Weingarten wouldn’t rule out the possibility they too might call on Duncan to step down.

“Clearly we understand the sentiment of the NEA delegates. That same impulse led me to write a letter to Secretary Duncan criticizing his post-Vergara comments,” Weingarten said in a statement emailed to BuzzFeed through a spokesperson. “The AFT convention is a real opportunity for our members to direct policy. Even though — unlike the NEA — local affiliates submit resolutions in advance of the convention and a call for the secretary’s resignation is not in any of them, there will be plenty of opportunities for members to amend resolutions, so you never know what will happen on the floor. That’s democracy.”

The door is still open, but it remains to be seen if Weingarten will herself call for the resolution or address the Duncan issue at the convention.

The AFT has openly criticized President Barack Obama and Duncan on a number of issues, namely the administration’s support for charter schools and using test scores to evaluate teachers.

<snip>

[Jefferson23]

1. Please do. n/t

[femmocrat]

2. His ignorance about special education should be grounds for dismissal.

He should have never been inflicted upon the nation's schools.

[Starry Messenger]

4. When I think about what might have been, it just makes me ill.

I'd be surprised if this resulted in Duncan actually leaving, but I hope that a message will be sent to the Democratic Party leadership that their irresponsible dive toward corporate raiding of public education is having extremely negative results. And teachers vote and are heavily involved in GOTV during elections.

[progressoid]

3. Yes please.

[QED]

5. The head of DFER said the NEA vote was from the "lunatic fringe"

Gee, I thought they were terrorists.

[Starry Messenger]

6. Oh DFER.

Did you know CA Democrats sent them a cease & desist letter to try to get them to stop calling themselves "Democrats for Education Reform"?

Amazing, how teachers are the crazy ones now and hedge fund assholes like Whitney Tilson are the supposed good guys.

[QED]

7. I didn't know that.

Isn't it amazing how the reformers want to get rid of all the bad teachers - as if most teachers are bad - but yet teachers are still seen by many as heroes. You know what it reminds me of? The view of women as either virgins or whores.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Yeah, that.

Especially considering how many women teach, that has an added resonance.

It's also union-busting 101: make the workers look bad, create an image of fringe discontents who are just trying to make trouble for the nice little worker bees who are happy.

Their slander of the NEA is pretty audacious though. It's the biggest labor union in the US.

[QED]

9. Too bad most teachers won't engage.

I wonder what it would take to rile them up.

[Starry Messenger]

10. Well, they did just vote to dump Duncan. :D

Hopefully it's a start.