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1) Public Education Workforce Hits 10.3 Million.
Those of us who are in or around public education don't normally spend a lot
of time thinking about its place in the greater American economic picture,
but the
latest employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics ought to
change that.
I don't know when BLS started disaggregating government
education employment from other employment, but the numbers are startling.
As of September 2007, there are more than 7.9 million local government
education employees. That is, people who work for school districts and other
local education agencies. An additional 2.4 million work in education for
state governments. The combined 10.3 million employees makes
public education the third largest sub-category of employer in the United
States, behind only the health care and the "accommodations and food
service" industries.
The entire public education workforce has grown by 1.3
percent since September 2006, though I can guarantee
student enrollment hasn't grown anywhere near that amount. The numbers
prompted Wall Street Journal reporter Brian Blackstone to call public
education hiring this year "robust."
We are living in a period of relatively low
unemployment, but the nationwide figure of 4.5 percent for September 2007 is
almost double the unemployment rate for government workers, which sits
at 2.4 percent.
Enrollment vs. hiring is currently a local problem (Detroit
and
Pittsburgh, for example) that may soon become a state problem (Vermont)
and eventually a national problem. But that's several elections down the
road, so who cares?
2) Night of the Living Ed. If you think
Halloween is scary, you haven't seen anything like… the Miller-McKeon NCLB
discussion draft hearings! EIA's Video Intercept for October features all
the hair-raising scenes that will put you on the edge of your seat. Repeated
screenings at
http://www.eiaonline.com or on
YouTube.
3) Around the States. This stuff keeps piling
up…
* The Idaho Education Association
regains the right to deduct dues from teachers' paychecks.
* The Nevada State Education Association will propose a
ballot initiative to
increase gaming taxes and spend the money on booze and women – no, I
made that last part up. The union wants the money to go into public
education's coffers. Under Nevada law, such a constitutional amendment
requires approval in two separate elections, in this case 2008 and 2010. I
wonder where NSEA will get the money to run this campaign? Yes, that's
rhetorical.
* The telenovela that is the Teachers
Association of Long Beach (California) continues its run with allegations of
financial insolvency.
Press report here, but
inside poop here.
* NEA Alaska thought it was through with the fallout
from the
charges against former executive director Tom Harvey, but the federal
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has
filed a second lawsuit against the union on behalf of another female
employee claiming discrimination.
4) Walk a Mile in Your Shoes. NEA is running a
campaign called "School House to the White House" in which presidential
candidates take part in school activities for part of a day, ostensibly to
learn firsthand the trials and tribulations of public school educators –
although John Edwards' visit was during lunchtime so maybe he learned about
mystery meat.
This "you couldn't do my job" thing has been around for
a long time, and certainly isn't unique to teaching. But anyone who writes
or speaks critically of public education is bound to receive an invitation
or two to "try it for a week and see if you can take it." I certainly have,
and over the years I have developed a few observations about these come-ons:
* Teaching college graduates whose
math errors could literally kill you doesn't count as real teaching.
* No one offers to let me run the teachers' union.
* No one offers to try running a small business at a
profit.
* If I taught, and I stunk, what would you do if I
refused to quit?
Teaching is a tough job. The toughest part, in my
opinion, is taking crap from snot-nosed kids that you would never tolerate
from an adult. If you want presidential candidates to learn something about
public education, don't trot them in and out of your school for two hours
with a passel of flunkies and reporters. Embed one of their education
policy staffers for an entire school year.
Not practical? How many campaign staffers are currently
planning these photo-ops? They can't spare one for what they repeatedly
state is the nation's most important domestic issue?
5) Blast from the Past. The NEA-affiliated
University of Hawaii Professional Assembly hired Kristeen Hanselman as
associate executive director. The last time Ms. Hanselman surfaced on these
pages she was in the midst of the
Washington Education Association's campaign disclosure fiasco that
resulted in fines for union back in the late 1990s.
6) More NCLB 2.0 Names. A few late entries in
the race:
No Public School Left Standing
No Child Shall Get Ahead
The New Basics for the 21st Century
The Standardized Kid Law
Just Say No to Concepts
Overall, I'd say we had some pretty good tries, but I
think I have to follow the lead of those classical piano competitions and
declare "no winner" this year.
7) Last Week's Intercepts. EIA's blog,
Intercepts, covered these topics from October 1-9:
*
Hillary and the AFT. Too much analysis chasing too little news.
*
Devil's Advocate. The fourth branch of government.
*
Does Pandering Pay? I wonder how John Edwards feels about his campaign
strategy today.
8) Quote of the Week #1. "Both chambers are
working tediously toward that goal." – Roberto Rodriguez, staffer for Sen.
Ted Kennedy, answering a question about whether NCLB will be reauthorized by
the current Congress. (October 4
NCLB: Act II, Education Week blog)
Quote of
the Week #2.
"God knows." – Charles Barone, former staffer to Rep. George Miller,
answering the question "What could your old boss do to appease the NEA but
still have a bill that improves NCLB?" (October 9
This Week in Education) |
