Intercepts

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 14:03 | Permalink | Comments

Hat tip to Eduwonk for spreading the word on Early Stories, a blog about early childhood education and the media's coverage of same. It's the brainchild of Richard Colvin of the Hechinger Institute. Colvin used to cover the education beat for the Los Angeles Times and is a free thinker to boot.

I'm happy to see newspaper folks in the education blogosphere. As with most bloggable issues, however, education could stand more reporting and less commenting.

Lots of stories "break" in the political and military blogs, but it seems to be rare in the education field. If I'm just missing those out there doing original reporting, let me know. I'd like to give them a plug if I can.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:54 | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:42 | Permalink | Comments

The National Education Association presented oral arguments this morning before the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to revive its lawsuit against the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. The lawsuit was dismissed by Chief U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman last November.

No telling how long it will take for a decision, but it's clear the loser will appeal.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 11:35 | Permalink | Comments

This largely pro-union editorial in the Daily Times of Pakistan contains some interesting insights on teacher unionism around the world. Worth a look.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 08:08 | Permalink | Comments

Click here to read:

1) Your Margins Are Too Wide
2) Open Message to Unidentified Source
3) The Most Pleasant Exhaustion
4) Last Week's Intercepts
5) Quote of the Week

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 13:24 | Permalink | Comments

The California Teachers Association wants to use school mailboxes for political endorsement handouts.

"It's our soapbox," said Priscilla Winslow, assistant chief counsel for the California Teacher Association, "and we maintain that we can say anything on that soapbox."

Funny, I don't remember CTA paying for that soap.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:26 | Permalink | Comments

Best wishes to all of you this Thanksgiving Day. I'm making my traditional dinner: turkey with chile recado (I substitute habaneros and red jalapenos for the chilacas). Try it. Thanksgiving dinner will never bore you again.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 08:48 | Permalink | Comments

Leo Casey at EdWize has finally discovered the secret of America's conservative proponents of education reform: they’re a bunch of commies.

Brilliant! Here’s another secret Leo hasn’t uncovered yet.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 11:16 | Permalink | Comments

Ana Beatriz Cholo of the Associated Press called me the other day. She was working on this story and asked me to comment. I decided I didn't really qualify to fill the role of defender of traditional Thanksgiving values, so I told her the story "wasn't up my alley" and referred her to a number of conservative family organizations. She evidently hooked up with Concerned Women for America.

Today the story is spread over more than 115 newspapers and the top of the blogosphere.

Did I screw up? Maybe. But when you step outside your area of expertise, it's a slippery slope.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 08:08 | Permalink | Comments

The Christian Science Monitor examines the projected enrollment miscalculations in Florida (for the consequences of such miscalculations, see yesterday’s communiqué).

Declining enrollments are affecting districts up north as well. Bucking the trend are Milwaukee's voucher schools, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Key quote:

"If the voucher program alone were considered a school district, it would
be the sixth-largest district in Wisconsin, behind Green Bay and ahead of
Appleton, according to the state Department of Public Instruction."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:43 | Permalink | Comments

Item #6 in the November 20 EIA Communique' is incorrect. The opening at the North Carolina Association of Educators is for executive director of the union's Retired School Personnel Division. NCAE Executive Director Colleen Borst will remain in her position. EIA apologizes for the error.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 17:36 | Permalink | Comments

Click here to read:

1) Is NEA Reading Its Own Research?
2) AFT Says United Teachers of Dade = Double Plus Good
3) NEA and Florida Affiliate Sue Breakaway Local
4) Teamsters Awarded Victory in Fort Wayne
5) Hide Your Wallets
6) Opening in North Carolina
7) Alabama High Schoolers Embrace EIA's Mission
8) Thanks for Responding
9) Last Week's Intercepts
10) Quote of the Week

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 15:38 | Permalink | Comments

Susan Ohanian has a plan to rid the U.S. of the No Child Left Behind Act. And it will only cost $71.40 per person. If it doesn't work, you can keep the petitions.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 10:07 | Permalink | Comments

The National Education Association wants to draw attention to Substitute Educators Day, and so conducted an online poll that asked respondents which celebrity they would like to see substitute teach for a day.

The runaway winner was actress Jessica Alba.

"Just as actress Jessica Alba toiled long and hard before achieving stardom, substitute educators work tirelessly - and often in relative anonymity - to provide every child with a quality public education," said NEA President Reg Weaver.

Here is Jessica, toiling.

It's possible Ms. Alba has what it takes to be a successful substitute teacher. She once said, "My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything - even if you have no clue what you're doing."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 11:06 | Permalink | Comments

As has been my habit for the nine-year existence of the Education Intelligence Agency, I provide this formal opportunity for readers' feedback. It's entirely open-ended and your name and comments will not be published.

I've found this survey is a pretty good method of gauging the temperature out there, and readers have come up with a number of suggestions that were ultimately incorporated in EIA operations, such as the web site, open comments on the blog, Dead Drop, and embedded links in the communique' to stories in Intercepts. Readers have also been extremely helpful over the years with technical suggestions - font size, formatting, "table of contents" at the top of communique', and the like.

Other suggestions are taking a little longer to implement. I have not yet, for example, gone to hell.

So while your thoughts are welcome all year, please consider taking some time to reply. Thanks for your indulgence, and for being a reader.

Sincerely,

Mike Antonucci
Director
Education Intelligence Agency
mike@eiaonline.com

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 13:56 | Permalink | Comments

Two instances of the press allowing people to pretend they are average citizens when they are in fact activists for a cause:

1) During a story on the San Francisco school board's decision to eliminate the Junior ROTC program in the district's schools, NBC affiliate Channel 11 interviewed Medea Benjamin, identifying her as a “parent,” without mentioning she is the co-founder of Code Pink.

2) A letter-to-the-editor writer alerts readers that a defender of Maryland's Apple Ballot was not just a "teacher," as he identified himself, but a member of the Montgomery County Education Association board of directors.

This stuff has a long history (see 2005 Quote of the Year #4). It's encouraging to see that people are catching on.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:55 | Permalink | Comments

The New York Times examines New Jersey school districts with six-figure budgets but no students.

Key quote from Democratic state Senator Bob Smith:

"If you sat down to develop the most inefficient and wasteful education
system, you couldn’t do any better."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 08:02 | Permalink | Comments

Jay Mathews of the Washington Post has a column today about the ubiquitous letter-to-the-editor writer Walt Gardner, whose commentary on public education has appeared in just about every major publication in America over the years.

Mathews has enlisted Gardner to help him judge the best education blogs from your nominations:

"I hope readers will e-mail me at mathewsj@washpost.com and Gardner at walt.gard@verizon.net the links to their favorite education blogs -- no more than five per reader, please,
and I would love you to rank them in your order of preference. Gardner and I
will look them over and reveal our favorites in a future column. He and I have
different views on some key issues and different tastes in writing styles, so
entries should not be at any disadvantage no matter what their slant or tone."

I'd like to think Intercepts is suitable for inclusion among the entrants, but the presence of Mr. Gardner may be problematic. From the September 19, 1997 EIA Communiqué:

"Ever wonder why there are teacher unions? Well, wonder no longer.
Apparently, it’s my fault. Responding to my Wall Street Journal review
of Myron Lieberman’s new book, Walt Gardner of Los Angeles wrote, "Teacher
unions are not perfect, to be sure, but they are the only means teachers have in
an increasingly hostile climate perpetuated by Mr. Antonucci." Notice he didn’t
write "perpetuated by people like Mr. Antonucci." So blame me when the
next tuition tax credit bill dies in committee."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 12:02 | Permalink | Comments

That's good advice for everyone, not just union members. If Jefferson County, Kentucky, school board member Patrick O'Leary had followed it, he would not have been surprised to find a passel of teachers campaigning against him on Election Day. The teachers in question had been granted paid "association leave." Local taxpayers were set back an estimated $66,000.

Check out Contract Hits for other such tidbits from across the nation.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:53 | Permalink | Comments

Click here to read:

1) NEA Republicans, Your Turn Is Next
2) Your NEA PAC Dollars at Work: Lucian Wojciechowski for President
3) Repayments to AFT Cause of UTD Treasurer Suspension
4) Kerry Keeps the Press Away in South Carolina
5) Post-Strike Melodrama in Detroit
6) Story Time
7) Last Week's Intercepts
8) Quote of the Week

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 15:44 | Permalink | Comments

Forty-eight school superintendents in Massachusetts signed a letter calling on newly elected Gov. Deval Patrick and state legislators to offer cash incentives for math and science teachers. Who could be opposed?

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 10:11 | Permalink | Comments

"It's good to believe that maybe destiny held this New World republic to be the supreme example of representative democracy and orderly liberty by which humanity is inspired to higher achievement. It is idle to think we have attained perfection, but there is the satisfying knowledge that we hold orderly processes for making our government reflect the heart and mind of the Republic.

"Ours is not only a fortunate people, but a very commonsensical people, with vision high, but their feet on the earth, with belief in themselves and faith in God. Whether enemies threaten from without or menaces arise from within, there is some indefinable voice saying: 'Have confidence in the Republic. America will go on.' Here is the sample of liberty no storms may shake. Here are the altars of freedom no factions shall destroy. It was American in conception, American in its building. It shall be American in the fulfillment. Factional once, we are all American now. And we mean to be all Americans to all the world."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 12:19 | Permalink | Comments

Unlike AFT’s post-election statement, NEA's release focused on the happy:

Tuesday’s midterm elections resulted in major victories for quality public
education, with voters electing pro-public education governors and members of
Congress in key states and Democrats taking control of the House of
Representatives. There could be a power shift in the Senate as well, as
America awaits results in Virginia.

"This is a victory for children and public education. I'm hopeful
that this shift results in resources for children, respect for education
employees and a renewed sense of responsibility by all," said Reg Weaver,
National Education Association president. "The victories last night mark a
critical change in course. Now the task is to make sure lawmakers make good
on campaign promises. There must be accountability."

NEA's 3.2 million members took an active role in many Congressional
campaigns by supporting Democratic and Republican candidates around the country
who advocated positive public education agendas. The Association supports
candidates based on their commitment to quality public schools, not party
affiliations....

After a laundry list of results, the statement continues with:

Even with these key political victories, and many others last night,
advocating for quality public schools will require careful political navigation,
Weaver said. The Bush administration has pledged to continue pushing the
fundamentally flawed No Child Left Behind Act, which is underfunded by about $40
billion and up for reauthorization next year.

"Voters made it clear on Tuesday that public education is a national
priority that lawmakers have a duty to address," Weaver said. "We must remain
vigilant long after the elections if we are to protect the basic right of every
child to a quality public education."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:24 | Permalink | Comments

Here's AFT President Ed McElroy on the election results:

These election results are a rebuke to the Republican majority that has
wielded so much political power in recent years in state and federal offices.
Republican leadership has not governed with moderation and cooperation, but with
extremism and exclusion, turning their backs on even the moderate members of
their own party.

Voters rejected candidates who enacted or supported policies that have hurt
ordinary Americans and have done incalculable damage to our country. The party
that once prided itself on fiscal restraint ran up record deficits, hampering
investment in national priorities like education, and left a long-term legacy of
economic recklessness. The party served not as a model for the world, but as an
example of what unchecked power can yield.

Poor and middle-income Americans have been hit particularly hard by these
policies, but their prospects look considerably better with the incoming
Congress, governors and state legislatures. For one thing, the president no
longer has a rubber stamp in both houses of Congress for his misguided agenda
that has shortchanged public education, threatened the economic security of
working and retired Americans, and attempted to weaken workers’ rights.

Democrats now have an opportunity to translate the priorities they
campaigned on into legislation and programs. We look forward to working with the
new leaders in Congress and state houses to enact laws that serve the common
good, give struggling Americans the help they need to get back on their feet,
and enable working Americans to prosper.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 12:47 | Permalink | Comments

I hadn't been closely following the 2006 campaign, but I did immerse myself last night in the TV news and blog coverage. And all I can say is there appears to be a substantial number of people who make a good living offering bad political analysis. CNN, Fox and MSNBC commentators were getting things wrong even while they were happening. I've heard better prognostication from Miss Cleo.

And the next time Bill Kristol approaches a telestrator he should be brought down with a crossbow.

The blogosphere didn't add much. Kos called a race in New Hampshire for the Dem, then pulled it back, then called it again. Yesterday, he predicted a Lamont victory. On the conservative side, Michelle Malkin informed us last night that the Riehl World View called the Virginia Senate race for Allen. Who is Riehl and why should I care?

The California local reporting was just as bad. The story of the night here was Gov. Schwarzenegger's "coattails." Scroll upward through this Google news page to see how the narrative changed. From coattails to GOP candidates running strongly to GOP candidates leading to Democrats edging out GOP to this morning's results, which show Republicans lost one statewide office they held (secretary of state) and picked up one to replace it (insurance commissioner).

So today, go easy on putting too much faith in the election "post-mortems" of the same people who didn't know there was going to be a funeral.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:06 | Permalink | Comments

The United Federation of Teachers reached a tentative contract agreement with New York City officials a year before the old contract runs out. The proposed deal will raise the maximum teacher salary to over $100,000.

Some are ecstatic. Others, not so much.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:35 | Permalink | Comments

Click here to read:

1) WEACtions
2) Join Us, You Money-Grubbing Scabs
3) Where Have You Gone, Victor Riesel?
4) NEA to Publish NCLB Goosebumps Tales
5) John Kerry Scheduled to Address South Carolina Education Association
6) Teamsters in Fort Wayne Forge Ahead, But Fall Short of Victory
7) The Obstacles to Disaffiliation
8) Supply Your Own Punch Line
9) Last Week's Intercepts
10) Quote of the Week

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 13:34 | Permalink | Comments

Remember the whole brouhaha over the ING Group, 403(b)s and the New York State United Teachers? The New York attorney general discovered that NYSUT endorsed high-fee ING annuities for its members, but didn't reveal that the union was receiving payments from ING. This arrangement received criticism from all corners and the ultimate settlement required ING to refund $30 million to union members who invested in the annuities.

So, everything worked properly, right? The deal was uncovered in an April 2006 Los Angeles Times story, the attorney general got on it and justice was done. But what took so long? While digging through the EIA archives searching for something else, I came across this lead story from the EIA Communiqué of October 2, 1997:

"Aetna Insurance Company offers its Opportunity Plus retirement annuity exclusively through New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) - an American Federation of Teachers (AFT) affiliate. The program is endorsed by NYSUT and offers reduced commission rates. In compliance with the law, Aetna states that 'All of the contributions received by Aetna on behalf of participants are invested in the participants’ accounts in the investment options selected by participants. No portion of their contribution is returned to NYSUT.'

"However, in exchange for this exclusive arrangement, Aetna does make payments to NYSUT. According to the Opportunity Plus prospectus, 'NYSUT is reimbursed for direct out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the promotion of the Opportunity Plus program up to a maximum of $75,000 per year. In addition, the Company will pay NYSUT between $30,000-$42,000 per month from 1994 through 1998. NYSUT has indicated to the Company that it intends to use these amounts to enhance benefits to the membership.' This arrangement sheds some light on endorsement agreements that are far from uncommon among union affiliates. An annual payment of $435,000 to $579,000 to an affiliate the size of NYSUT is not chump change. It also suggests that the way to determine union income from these arrangements is to avoid the vague and convoluted union documentation, and go instead to the data of the private firm offering the benefit, who must explain the arrangement to its stockholders."

The ING Group acquired Aetna's financial services in 2000 and assumed the NYSUT Opportunity Plus contract.

So, if I could find it in 1997 - a mere three months after founding EIA - why did it take the New York attorney general's office another nine years to learn about it?

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 13:43 | Permalink | Comments

Lois Weiner is a professor of Elementary and Secondary Education at New Jersey City University. I tell you this because it is something you should keep in mind as you read "Rethinking Teacher Unions" from the Fall issue of Rethinking Schools.

The article probably won't make you rethink teacher unions, but it might make you rethink teacher certification and training.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:21 | Permalink | Comments

Next Tuesday will likely be a very good day for the Democratic Party nationwide, but it is interesting to see how badly it is going in a contest Democrats thought would easily go their way: the California gubernatorial race.

After losing in all four of his initiative campaigns in the November 2005 election and raising the ire of the state's powerful public employees' unions by embracing paycheck protection, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads his opponent, Phil Angelides, by 16 points in a Field Poll released today.

The margin isn't all that surprising - Angelides is an extremely weak candidate. But there is an astonishing statistic from the Field Poll: Schwarzenegger leads Angelides among voters who live in union households.

Egad.

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 11:14 | Permalink | Comments

Yesterday we let the Los Angeles papers catch up on the Wayne Johnson story. Today it's the turn of the Miami Herald with its major story on internal problems with the United Teachers of Dade.

Reporter Tania deLuzuriaga concentrates on differences of opinion regarding contract talks, but the difficulties go much deeper than that. For one thing, the Herald entirely missed the fact that last week the union suspended its secretary-treasurer. Or that allegations had been brought to the union's executive board against UTD President Karen Aronowitz and Vice President Artie Leichner, all of which were found by the board to lack probable cause (see page 3).

But heck, you can go further back, say, to the lead story in the April 3, 2006 EIA Communiqué, and this follow-up item in the April 6 Intercepts where a member of the UTD board assures me that "the UTD is healthy and growing stronger by the day. All efforts aimed at disruption and disunity have so far failed miserably."

Posted by Mike Antonucci at 07:32 | Permalink | Comments