NEA Convention 2011: No Bombs for Teachers

posted at 8:17 pm on July 3, 2011 by Mike Antonucci
[ Education ]   

Delegates defeated a motion to support the proposed “America’s Weapons Rebate to Education Act.” It originated – where else? – in Oakland, and the rationale was “Every state faces a crisis in education funding. The Pentagon budget is $685 billion this year. For $1 million, the government can buy one bomb or the states can pay 25 teachers’ salaries for one year.”

I’m glad it was defeated, mainly because I don’t think dropping 25 teachers from altitude on enemy artillery emplacements would produce the desired result.

Speaking of dropping bombs, Earl Wiman’s speech was so effective it got him elected to the NEA executive committee. He actually defeated an incumbent, which is very rare at this level of the union. But his real achievement is restoring reductio ad Hitlerum to the orator’s toolkit. Bravo!

Tomorrow delegates will take up the debate of NEA’s new policy statement on teacher evaluations (scroll down), vote on the Obama endorsement and the doubling of the assessment to the union’s Ballot Measure/Legislative Crises Fund, and continue to whack away at the new business items.

The election results should be announced shortly after noon.

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