What's Wrong with the NEA?

[koda]

I don’t have kids but will soon be a teacher. I see that there’s no love here for the NEA, about whom I know practicallly nothing. Mind filling me in on why they’re so bad?

 

[otm]

I am not a teacher. Therefore, most of what I know about them is picked up from here and there. You might want to ask teachers their opinions, and do some research, possibly through articles that may have appeared in the National Catholic Register.

The NEA as a national organization in the labor movement has backed a number of issues that are particualr to the political left and are not intrinsic to education, such as abortion. There is a feeling that they are more interested in political clout than they are in the members themselves, and that their directions do not come from the masses of teachers, but from the “politicos” who staff the national organization.

 

[Forest-Pine]

Don’t know about the NEA, but my state’s teacher’s association has taken the official position that home schooling (in any form) is child abuse. A little difficult to respect people who are acting as professional substitute parents when they have no respect for the parents in the first place.

 

[MJE]

was it sec of ed for Bush first term that referred to NEA as a “terrorist organization”? they are stridently pro abortion and for every other liberal position on issues. I remember during the 80’s they even had a position of the Nic.Contra’s. Now, what has teaching got to do w/ that? research them and your local teachers union. it is good to know just how they will spend your $. they always give big time to the Demo. candidates from Pres to Congress et al. and they are opposed to vouchers, school choice, merit pay.

 

[Fitz]

I refuse to allow NEA to have my Political Action money. I request it back. I don’t get that much back, but I was furious when they supported Planned Parenthood in a march last year. I think that the union was probably very good in terms of getting fair raises for teachers. However, it is also fairly good at backing up bad teachers too. I don’t like some of the politicians they back. They assume every teacher is a liberal. I really don’t like the lobbying that goes on in Wahsington and the NEA is at fault too.

 

[puzzleannie]

NEA the National Education Assn is not a labor union, it is a professional organization ostensibly to promote good education for all children, respect for teaching as a profession and to lobby for the interests of its members. In actuality it is one of largest, if not the largest, lobbying groups which have a stranglehold on our system of so-called representative government. the problem comes when the organization adopts and pushes strong positions on issues which have nothing to do with teaching and education. It then uses the dues of its members to lobby for causes and issues which do not represent the interests or opinions of its members.