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

Here are the earthshaking stories in the education world:

* The Department of Education removed a bullet point in the supplementary materials for the President’s upcoming speech to schoolchildren.

* Republicans want to see a copy of the speech.

* Thanks to the following quote, the world has discovered John Trotter, chairman of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators, an independent teachers’ union in Atlanta:

“Duncan apparently thinks that you can just demand and command improvement,” says Metro Association of Classroom Educators chairman John Trotter. “He wants to replace everyone … except the ones who matter, the children.”

Trotter says the children in failing schools are the main problem.

“They are unmotivated and lazy. Yes, there are many incompetent and idiotic and mean administrators who need to go,” Trotter says. “There are even some bad teachers, but these are really rare. The problem starts with the students. What is Duncan going to do with some so-called students who act like miscreants each day?”

The MACE web site (alternate name: My! Keyboard! Is! Broken!!!!) is a treat, and includes this story:

Through the years, Jeff Cox’s duties at MACE have multiplied.  He, as the Membership Director, was usually the first point of contact when members called the office or when teachers called the MACE Office to inquire about becoming a members.  He has a way of calming the teachers’ nerves.  I remember on one occasion when a teacher from Gwinnett exclaimed:  “I feel so good after talking to Mr. Cox that I just take my clothes off and start dancing!”

* Here’s my contribution: NEA has teamed up with Clorox to provide teachers with a coupon for a free container of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Or, as John Trotter might put it: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes!!!

The parties reached a tentative agreement a few hours before the strike deadline. Details as yet unavailable.

Marion County Superior Court Judge Robyn Moberly ruled that NEA administrator Edward Sullivan cannot run the Indiana State Teachers Association insurance trust by himself, and that the other eight seats on the board of trustees must be filled.

That’s the good news. The bad news is she then restored the ISTA president and treasurer to their seats on the board – the seats they held while the trust slowly descended into bankruptcy.