Stealth Anti-Union Campaign Says NEA Has Stealth Anti-NCLB Campaign
July 11, 2006 01:33 PM
An Education Sector report released today compares the NEA's funding of groups that criticize NCLB to the U.S. Department of Education's payments to Armstrong Williams. That dog won't hunt, and here's why.
First, the NEA isn't using federal tax money. Second, the GAO concluded that ED's payoff to Armstrong Williams violated federal laws against "covert propaganda." (The federal laws apply to government agencies, not unions.) Third, the NEA is a union advocating for its members, not a commentator paid to promote a law.
Transparency is good. But, in inventing uncovering this "stealth campaign," Ed Sector has used innuendo and sensationalism in an attempt to undermine the NEA and counter any effort to address NCLB's fundamental flaws.
I can't wait for the next report out of Ed Sector's stealth anti-union campaign. No doubt it will look at the AFT's LM-2 forms and find we have given money to groups that oppose school vouchers, support public education and protect workers' rights. Scandalous.
Ironic tidbit: Since full disclosure seems to be Ed Sector's standard, shouldn't the report have indicated who funded it? Isn't that what Ed Sector wants for every campaign and report? Or is that just something Ed Sector demands from unions? Inquiring minds can find Ed Sector's funders on its Web site -- and union financial reports on the DOL Web site.
UPDATE: Alexander Russo's compares this post to Zidane's World Cup head-butt.
UPDATER: Lighten up already. Quick and the Ed is part of Ed Sector, a Hydra-headed beast that spends a fair amount of time undermining teacher unions. Ed Sector claims it's not anti-teacher-union even as it rips the NEA and AFT and supports ridiculous proposals that weaken teacher unions and do nothing to raise student achievement. Surely, then, if an organization criticizes NCLB's deeply flawed accountability provisions, notes that its school overhaul provisions are not based on research, and points out other flaws, Ed Sector would be hypocritical to label that group anti-NCLB. As it does here, here and, using different words but the same sentiment, elsewhere.
Comments
Education Sector's work on collective bargaining is neither "stealth" nor "anti-union."
http://www.quickanded.com/2006/07/bogus-allegations-of-anti-unionism.html
Posted by: Kevin Carey, Education Sector | July 12, 2006 06:41 AM
Thanks for the comment, Kevin.
It would be great to have the opportunity to comment on Ed Sector's blogs. Managing the comments section might not be the huge burden you imagine it to be.
Posted by: John at AFT | July 12, 2006 09:49 AM
Thank you for speaking up about the Ed Sector report. As one of the people specifically named in that report, I found it personally offensive. I have diligently worked on NCLB since its enactment and have always given my perspective with the interest of poor and minority students first in mind. Any one who knows me, knows this. To allege otherwise is simply bad reporting. Too many people/organizations are calling for changes to NCLB. It is not a campaign. It is a grassroots movement to improve the federal role in education. And I will debate anyone in the problems of NCLB and how the federal government could be more helpful in improving education. I just wish we would stop spending so much time and money arguing back and forth, and start working on fixing things. Thanks again.
Posted by: Scott Young | July 13, 2006 07:46 AM
What a great headline.
Great article too. The comparison to Williams is blatantly inept, but that's the sort of thing we're being fed daily on Fox, and there aren't nearly enough people being called on such nonsense.
Keep up the good work, folks.
Posted by: NYC Educator | July 13, 2006 09:58 AM