The 2005 EIA Public Education Quotes of the Year
EIA is proud to present the 2005 Public
Education Quotes of the Year, in countdown order. Enjoy!
10) "After
all these years, I'm sorry to say my recommendation is this: Forget about
self-esteem and concentrate more on self-control and self-discipline." – Roy
F. Baumeister, professor in the department of psychology at Florida State
University. (January 25 Los Angeles Times)
9) "When
the students don't learn, the school must change." – Microsoft co-founder
Bill Gates, addressing the National Governors Association. (February 27
Los Angeles Times)
8) "If the
United States is to preserve our system of free public schools, teacher
unions are going to have to stop accepting the status quo and making excuses
for the poor performance of our students." – Morty Rosenfeld, member of the
NEA New York board of directors. (October 17 Teacher Talk)
7) "Kids
do not do better learning math themselves. There's a reason we go to school,
which is that there's someone smarter than us with something to teach us." –
high school student Jim Munch, relating his battle against his school's
constructivist math program. (November 9 New York Times)
6) "It was
negotiated by the MEA [Maine Education Association] and governor's office
over the last four months. We're all just learning about it." – Maine State
Senator Libby Mitchell (D-Kennebec), chairwoman of the Education and
Cultural Affairs Committee, reacting to Gov. John Baldacci's plan to reduce
graduation standards and pay $17 million to teachers working on the state's
assessment program. (April 7 Lincoln County News)
5) "We
might rank in the top half in some areas, but we're not in the top of the
top half." – Nancy Henderson, president of the Jefferson County Education
Association (Colorado), expressing distress over teacher salaries in her
district. (March 31 Canyon Courier)
4) "Please
sign your letters as an individual or representative of a community group,
not as a member of GAE." – Jonathan Goldman, director of communications and
marketing for the Georgia Association of Educators, advising GAE members on
how to respond to a column by Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist
Jim Wooten on a bill to provide state-funded liability insurance to
teachers. GAE was opposed to the bill.
3) "There
are better ways for me to spend my hours than to deal with an employee who
files constant grievances and objects to basic rules." – American Federation
of Teachers Local 212 Executive Vice President Charlie Dee, on a lawsuit
filed against his union by employee Mary Tews. Local 212 fired Tews in 2003,
was ordered by an arbitrator to rehire her with back pay, then, Tews
alleges, cut her pay and hours and tried to force her out. (May 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
2) "While
building efficiencies of scale might fit a sound business model, it is the
antithesis of sound educational practice." – Hawaii State Teachers
Association Vice President Joan Lewis. (November 1 Honolulu Advertiser)
1) "All we
want to do is learn. We can't learn if we don't got teachers." – Raquel
Brito, one of an estimated 900 students who walked out of class in the East
Side Union High School District in San Jose, California, to protest layoff
notices sent to district teachers. (March 23 San Jose Mercury News)
…and a special honorable mention to…
"I'm allergic to onions and I wouldn't
walk under an onion bridge." – an NEA delegate debating New Business Item 91
at the union's Representative Assembly on July 6. |
