Let a New Teacher-Union Debate Begin
Examining the power—and the impact—of education’s 800-pound gorilla
Behind the Headline: Seeking Allies, Teachers’ Unions Court GOP Too
On Top of the News Seeking Allies, Teachers’ Unions Court GOP Too New York Times| 9/25/12 Behind the Headline The Long Reach of Teachers’ Unions Education Next| Fall 2010 In this morning’s New York Times, Motoko Rich writes about the growth in donations made by teachers unions to support Republican candidates. Mike Antonucci had an [...]
The Chicago Strike’s Silver Lining
What this episode demonstrated was that what teacher unions care about has practically nothing to do with what’s good for the kids and everything to do with what teachers want for themselves.
The Fear Factor: Merit Pay with a Punch
The new CTU contract will not have “phony” merit pay (differentiated pay) but will have the “real” thing (school autonomy).
What the Chicago Strike is Really About
The unions are feeling whipsawed by tectonic shifts that have occurred within the Democratic Party in recent years.
Conflict is Unavoidable
There are times when the interests of the teachers and those of the broader public are not the same.
What We’re Watching: The Teacher Unions Image Problem
Paul Peterson talks with the Wall Street Journal about a new survey showing that the public is turning against teachers unions.
Another Real Winner in Wisconsin—Real Clear Politics
My colleagues and I went out on a limb yesterday when we wrote an op-ed piece saying that teacher unions were in trouble. So I watched the news last night with a worried eye after CNN told me that the exit polls in Wisconsin showed a tight race.
Behind the Headline: Teachers Unions Have a Popularity Problem
On Top of the News Peterson, Howell and West: Teachers Unions Have a Popularity Problem Wall Street Journal | 6/4/12 Behind the Headline The Public Weighs in on School Reform Education Next | Fall 2011 A new public opinion survey finds that the percentage of people taking a negative view of teacher unions is growing, [...]
Terry Moe on Teacher Union Power
Terry Moe talks with Eric Hanushek about his recent book, Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools.
Unions and the Public Interest
Is collective bargaining for teachers good for students?
Is collective bargaining for teachers good for students?
Rhode Island’s Landmark Pension Reform
Last night, by overwhelming margins, the Rhode Island legislature passed what may be the nation’s most comprehensive state public employee pension reform ever.
A Different Role for Teachers Unions
Cooperation brings high scores in Canada and Finland
Cooperation brings high scores in Canada and Finland
The Army of Angry Teachers — When Success Breeds Failure
The unions succeed by intimidating politicians with their raw power while convincing the public that teacher unions love their children almost as much as the parents do. But when the public face of the teacher unions is the Army of Angry Teachers, they no longer seem like Mary Poppins.
Moe v. Meier on Teacher Unions
Two key fault lines ran through the lively panel discussion of Terry Moe’s new book, Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools. One was the notion of “reform unionism” and professional voice. The second was how to judge whether schools or teachers were doing well.
The New Unionism, Legislative Version
The unions can try to rebuild their image (while doing good for America) by actively participating in efforts to figure out how to evaluate teachers and how schools can make personnel decisions based on those evaluations.
What Would Al Shanker Do?
One of the reasons Candidate Obama was so appealing was his call for participants in our democracy to “disagree without being disagreeable.”
The NEA Girds for Battle
A brilliant report from Mike Antonucci at the Education Intelligence Agency (EIA) paints a dark picture of what the recent public union defeats in Wisconsin and elsewhere mean to the National Education Association.
Teachers Unions Here and There
I don’t always agree with Marc Tucker but he knows a heckuva lot about how other countries organize their education systems; and it turns out that knowledge extends to how their teacher unions have evolved, what roles the unions play, and how their bargaining processes work. The differences set forth in his exceptionally interesting new [...]
Invisible Ink in Teacher Contracts
State policy trumps collective bargaining
State policy trumps collective bargaining
The Long Reach of Teachers Unions
Using money to win friends and influence policy
Using money to win friends and influence policy
News from Florida: Can teacher unions become a third political party?
Governor Crist has vetoed the merit pay bill as part of his plan to run as a third party candidate for the open Senate seat in Florida. What’s interesting about the latest development is Crist’s decision to form an alliance with teacher unions. Unions are typically hard-line Democrats; are they now ready to abandon a long-standing relationship in order to provide the financial backbone of the Crist campaign?
