Unions, as evidenced by these videos, have been putting the interests of school employees first for quite some time. The reason the obvious dichotomy has developed is because the adult issues (pay, benefits, work rules) are often divergent from student needs. – Kyle Olson, Education Action Group
Last week my stalker Ben Velderman reappeared to announce the death of the NEA.
This week we have the return of Ben’s boss, Kyle Olson of the Education Action Group.
Olson, you recall, traveled the country last year warning the citizens that the children’s book Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type was Bolshevik introctrination.
I have a close personal relationship with Kyle since he wrote a letter to my district’s school board president demanding that I be fired for mocking the weird Ben Velderman on my blog.
The school board president suggested in response that Kyle was wasting tax-payer money on these anti-Klonsky crusades and should leave the district alone.
So. What is Kyle Olson up to lately?
He is condemning teachers, including me, for suggesting that we be paid fairly, have good working conditions and have their promised pensions paid.
These were all video taped at last weeks NEA Representative Assembly.
To Kyle this is clearly evidence that teachers are selfish and ARE NOT FOR THE KIDS!
Examples?
In this ongoing project called Use Your Teacher Voice, teachers speak for about 30 seconds about their work.
Michelle Harris-Padron, a teacher in Oxnard, California describes how she advocates for bicycle helmets for her kindergarten students and encourages teacher voices to be heard.
Brent Gaspaire of Tacoma, Washington is video taped saying,”You can’t put students first if you put teachers last.”
And then Olson posts my video saying that the state should pay the pension they promised me.
To Olson this is clear evidence I’m not for the kids.
There are many more videos.
They’re great and you should watch them.
Take added pleasure in knowing how much it aggravates Kyle Olson.
Fred Klonsky 
I think it’s good for kids if they have well-paying, decent jobs waiting for them when they grow up. I think it behooves us to leave such opportunities for our kids, including our students. Too bad the demagogues disagree. It certainly won’t be good for kids if they get their way.
Mr. Klonsky,
While I applaude teachers getting bike helmets for all the student population, I think you are disconnecting from the big plasma screen picture. I am a parent, I opted two children out of standardized tests twice this year. Their teachers thanked me, BECAUSE THEIR VOICES ARE UNHEARD and TEACHERS MAYNOT MAKE A STAND in this political climate. My parent-teacher connection is strong, I will stand up and say no when educators are robbed of their voice. The question then becomes: When will the NEA stand up for teachers first, as you request, and their students? As a parent, I feel the NEA has abandoned children. The NEA as I see it, as a parent mind you, has become the organization of do nothing for the future. If NEA as a union would embrace their POWER we could accomplish equitable education for all. Call me optimistic, call me koo-koo, I don’t care about labels. I need teachers to stand beside me and point to the flaws in the system. If the NEA and teachers cannot do this, we are looking at the destruction of public education. Personally, I would like to avoid becoming a dinosaur, what about you?
See Arthur Goldsein’s comment.
I saw Arthur’s response, I want my three kids to grow up with wonder, that naturally leads to jobs, which they will invest in and love. The learningkids process isto not justto acquisition of careeer readiness, which is being shoved down the throats of my children. It is time to share with you the words of my 11 year old, he needed to DEFEND why kids should go on field trips, because there is so little funding left for experiential learning. “See, I don’t stop learning at school! The world is like a huge classroom with you in it!” Stand up for my kid, so he can be in this world and make the connections adults cannot face. Let my children grow wonder and not sacrifice them for the sake of a greasy buck. Encourage critical thought, not scantron sheets, my kids need educators like that. So, will you speak for my kids when you speak for yourself? Will you challenge the “status quo” of putting children in bubbles? I’m pro-union, pro-teacher, pro-child. I depend on you in the NEA to say enough is enough, let us teach without “value added” measures, without putting my children in a measuring cup for “career readiness”! Where is the disconnect? You tout yourself as an educator, please give me evidence that you’re on board with exceptional education, not standardized education.
First of all, Arthur was not responding to your comment. He was responding to my post.
Secondly, it is wrong not to draw distinctions between the members of the NEA and the AFT and the leadership of the two unions. Or to refuse to acknowledge those times when those leaders have done the right thing.
Both Arthur and I, and thousands of other teachers and members of both unions have been in the battle against standardized testing. Against centralized curriculum decision making. We have made our career one of standing for children.
It is wrong to suggest otherwise.
There are also hundreds of local and national leaders of both unions who have done the same.
To make sweeping generalizations about the two unions is wrong.
More importantly, to confuse targets, to make enemies of friends, to place blame for the current corporate education offensive on 4 million people who have chosen a career of teaching or supporting those who do, is wrong.
Mr. Klonsky,
I am not the megalomaniac you may think to assume Arthur was responding to me, especially since he responded prior to my comment. Great for you and Arthur and the thousands of ithers for resisting standardized/centralized tests, they’re non-essential. However, I’m on the grounds, in the trenches…how should you respond when teachers feel there is no one left to defend them (in addition to their students)? Lose your ego and give me a game plan, that is what I have been asking.
I’ll get right on it. Let me see: Lose ego. Get a game plan. Got it.