Note to those who want to make an issue when there is none.
When NEA President Reg Weaver spoke to the IEA RA this morning he argued for holding all presidential candidates’ feet to the fire on issues of education. Reg said that he, AFT President Ed McElroy, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all met and both Democratic candidates agreed with the union position in opposition to merit pay plans based on student test score performance and to vouchers.
Welcome the doctor back.
I see Dr. Homeslice is back. Hope he keeps his practice up and running.
Old school.
The Spinners.
Three over coffee. Updated. Another Update.
Not the usual “Three…” this morning.
It was coffee out of a paper cup this morning. I wasn’t planning to be back at the IEA RA this morning, but the unexpected happened yesterday.
Tired of the bureaucratic, unresponsive, creaky work of the state organization above the region level, I decided I would go to the mic and argue for a no vote on the budget proposal. It wasn’t about one budget line or another. Many delegates had concerns about the lack of transparency in the budget process and I agree. But I have always voted for the budget every year.
But not this year. Tired of driving three hours to Springfield for “debriefing” meetings only to be silenced or marginalized. Tired of writing e-mails outlining the concerns of my members, only to have e-mail responses from Government Relations that say “thanks for your comments” and then never hearing from them again. Tired of being a local president of an active, spirited, fighting local that is invisible to the state leadership, I was voting “no.”
The enemies of public education are rich and powerful and agile and our state organization is slow, tired and bureaucratic.
Half way through my comments from the floor, IEA President, Ken Swanson called “time.” and turned off my mic.
But two thirds of the delegates have to approve the budget. A voice vote was inconclusive. A standing vote didn’t make it clearer. A roll-call vote was called and the budget failed. Not by much. But it failed.
It was the result of a coalition of isolated down-state locals that have lousy salary schedules and find any dues increase painful, and upstate locals that are frustrated by a leadership that preaches “change,” but practices the same old same old.
So, the budget committee went back to work and presented a revised budget this morning. It passed. Barely.
But hopefully a message got sent. And hopefully it is listened to.
Update:
Transparency indeed. If you’re a member of the IEA and you were interested in the debate over the budget, don’t bother with the IEA website. All you will find out is that the budget was the first order of business TODAY. Actually it was the order of business yesterday and, as I said, the budget was rejected. But you won’t find out about that on the IEA site. That’s why you should subscribe to my feed.
Another update:
Today’s IEA website corrects yesterday’s report:
On Saturday, the IEA budget was passed, ending two days of spirited discussion.
