Intercepts
A listening post monitoring public education and teachers’ unions.

Because you don’t want your kid to throw a baseball like Mariah Carey.

There are, I have been told, 19 Democratic Party superdelegates who are associated with the National Education Association in some capacity. Some are already committed to a candidate, but others remained uncommitted throughout the campaign. One of the latter was Gail Rasmussen, vice president of the Oregon Education Association.

Yesterday Rasmussen declared for Obama “in honor of the support” he won from the state’s voters in the May 20 primary. Of course, one must wonder if NEA’s conditional recommendation of Obama was a factor in her decision, and whether the union’s odd move will be a signal to others to start the exodus to Obama’s camp.

Remember this California story?

Layoffs expected for 14,000 state teachers

Or this press release?

Hundreds of Educators Protest More Than 18,000 Pink Slips And Condemn Governor’s Proposed $4.8 Billion in Cuts

Or this tale of woe?

Statewide teacher layoffs: It’s 20,000

If you don’t remember, don’t bother trying. Here’s today’s story:

Districts tearing up teachers’ pink slips

Most jobs restored for those facing layoffs

Months after massive protests and alarm over school layoffs began, only a
fraction of the teachers who received pink slips will lose their jobs.

Yesterday, the San Diego Unified, Poway Unified and Chula Vista
Elementary school districts became the latest to rescind layoff notices and
restore all permanent teaching positions.

Click here to read:

1) EIA Exclusive: NEA Conditionally Recommends Obama
2) Grand Rapids School Board Fights Fire with Fire
3) District Spending Data Updated for Six More States
4) Website Supports New Union Disclosure Requirements
5) Last Week’s Intercepts
6) Quote of the Week

The National Education Association PAC Council approved a conditional recommendation of Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic Party presidential nomination. The recommendation will only take effect if one of two things occurs before the next PAC Council meeting (June 29):

a) Senator Hillary Clinton withdraws; or

b) Senator Obama obtains the necessary number of delegates to win the nomination.

The PAC Council’s decision was placed before the NEA Board of Directors during a conference call last week, but only 96 of the 184 voting members of the board participated. Despite the conditional nature of the recommendation, which in effect delays any NEA action until the race is decided, there was still opposition. However, the recommendation passed by a vote of 69-27.

I’ll have analysis in today’s communiqué and more details as they become available.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society represents more than 13,000 education employees in Canada. The union is holding its convention this weekend and one proposed resolution seeks to meet the needs of delegates:

A resolution from a Carmen area school division up for debate at the
Manitoba Teachers’ Society annual general meeting starting tomorrow is calling
for pet pay.

The resolution from the Prairie Rose School Division calls from members
attending Manitoba Teachers’ Society events to be reimbursed for pet care.

It argues some members may have responsibilities beyond child care or
for dependant care that currently gets reimbursed.

The resolution says members could only claim for expenses when family
members can’t take care of a pet.

It says that acknowledges not all pets can be left alone overnight for
extended periods of time.

The resolution estimates pet care costs at approximately 15 to 20
dollars night.