Obama Loses Support of Teachers’ Unions
President Obama rode into the White House on a wave of support that included America’s two largest teachers unions. But, as the New York Times reports, the Obama administration’s relations with the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have soured.
During the two years before his election, Obama addressed both groups, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was a featured speaker at both of their conventions in 2009. This year, no federal officials spoke at either convention because union leaders feared they would be heckled. At the recent NEA convention, “hooting delegates” voted for resolutions lambasting the administration for undermining public education, the Times reported. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told the gathering that “today our members face the most anti-educator, anti-union, anti-student environment I have ever experienced.”
Why the change of heart? The White House has angered teachers by supporting charter schools, the dismissal of teachers deemed ineffective, and teacher evaluation systems. The unions argue that the administration is blaming teachers for the problems facing public education. The White House is working to make amends, the Times says, with plans to spend another $10 billion to avoid teacher layoffs. But the unions remain unhappy with the Administration’s opposition to a House-passed measure to help finance that effort with $800 million in funds drawn from other White House education initiatives, particularly the Race to the Top grant scheme. The White House has threatened to veto the House version if it is passed by Congress.
Filed under: K-12 Education News
Tags: Education Policy, Public Policy, Teachers
