P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| What to expect: The school reform arc |
School reform at the local level:
You volunteer at school and everyone's jolly. They love your homemade
brownies and if you put in enough years running whatever the activity, you get a
nice plaque or trophy although maybe it's a xeroxed "certificate of appreciation."
brownies and if you put in enough years running whatever the activity, you get a
nice plaque or trophy although maybe it's a xeroxed "certificate of appreciation."
"Ohmygosh, I'm just so surprised and touched. A real sheet of xerox
paper with little cartoons all over it. And you used the school's color
printer. And it‘s signed by the superintendent‘s auto-stamp. I'm really
touched. No, no, don't you worry, I've got just the frame for this at home."
paper with little cartoons all over it. And you used the school's color
printer. And it‘s signed by the superintendent‘s auto-stamp. I'm really
touched. No, no, don't you worry, I've got just the frame for this at home."
Spending so much time and energy at the schools, you get close enough to see
the sausage factory and grow concerned and upset over clear evidence of
fraud/waste/curriculum abuse.
the sausage factory and grow concerned and upset over clear evidence of
fraud/waste/curriculum abuse.
"Ohmygosh, they're doing THAT? Isn't that illegal?"
Being a good citizen, you take your concerns up the chain of command, from
teacher to department chair to assistant principal to principal to assistant
superintendent to superintendent. All of whom are pleasant at first. They assure
you that because they're the professionals and you're not, you're really not
qualified to offer an opinion much less be part of the solution. Because you’ve
even asked the question(s) you asked, you will NOT be invited to join the
campus or district site-based decision-making committee, which is no big deal
because parents are in the minority and besides, it’s only set up to be a rubber
stamp for the administration. As a sop, they offer you fake affection.
teacher to department chair to assistant principal to principal to assistant
superintendent to superintendent. All of whom are pleasant at first. They assure
you that because they're the professionals and you're not, you're really not
qualified to offer an opinion much less be part of the solution. Because you’ve
even asked the question(s) you asked, you will NOT be invited to join the
campus or district site-based decision-making committee, which is no big deal
because parents are in the minority and besides, it’s only set up to be a rubber
stamp for the administration. As a sop, they offer you fake affection.
"Ohmygosh, if the superintendent tries to hug me one more time."
Despite having dozed through your high school government class--it was that
dull--somehow you stumble onto your state's sunshine laws, figure out that you're
entitled to a closer look at how your money's being spent and/or curriculum is
institutionalized, etc. And/or you can see clearly that block scheduling and/or the
reading/math program du jour don't/doesn't work because you've spent so much
time in the classroom as a volunteer.
dull--somehow you stumble onto your state's sunshine laws, figure out that you're
entitled to a closer look at how your money's being spent and/or curriculum is
institutionalized, etc. And/or you can see clearly that block scheduling and/or the
reading/math program du jour don't/doesn't work because you've spent so much
time in the classroom as a volunteer.
"Ohmygosh, I admit I wasn't a math major, but seems to me that if they
didn't waste money on that third assistant principal when staffing
guidelines clearly only call for two, that's a French teacher and school
supplies!"
didn't waste money on that third assistant principal when staffing
guidelines clearly only call for two, that's a French teacher and school
supplies!"
You file open records requests and pore over them, examine reams of paper which
you have to pay for. By now the principal and/or supe at the very least don't
return calls and more likely is/are mounting community opposition, charging you
with having an "agenda" and being "negative." The more facts you find the more
shrill and emotional the attacks by Education, Inc. And by now you're finding real
STUFF.
you have to pay for. By now the principal and/or supe at the very least don't
return calls and more likely is/are mounting community opposition, charging you
with having an "agenda" and being "negative." The more facts you find the more
shrill and emotional the attacks by Education, Inc. And by now you're finding real
STUFF.
"Ohmygosh, the supe says they're broke, but he's just back from a four-day
conference halfway across the country. At a four star hotel. With valet
parking. These receipts just don’t make sense. Haven't these people ever
heard of Super 8 or the Holiday Inn?"
conference halfway across the country. At a four star hotel. With valet
parking. These receipts just don’t make sense. Haven't these people ever
heard of Super 8 or the Holiday Inn?"
You take the STUFF to local reporters who may or may not use your material.
You don't of course ask for credit so the reporter takes it all for him/herself. The
newspaper's publisher and senior editors are friends with the supe in Rotary and the
Chamber, etc. Can't make the school district look bad. If they do run the STUFF,
it's watered down and you're dismissed as a "gadfly" and the supe gets the final
"expert witness" summary comment in the stories. If the error's been proven, and if
the supe deigns to come down from Mt. Olympus and speak to the press, it is
because he/she welcomes the opportunity to learn from the past, put it behind us,
and move forward into a glorious future.
You don't of course ask for credit so the reporter takes it all for him/herself. The
newspaper's publisher and senior editors are friends with the supe in Rotary and the
Chamber, etc. Can't make the school district look bad. If they do run the STUFF,
it's watered down and you're dismissed as a "gadfly" and the supe gets the final
"expert witness" summary comment in the stories. If the error's been proven, and if
the supe deigns to come down from Mt. Olympus and speak to the press, it is
because he/she welcomes the opportunity to learn from the past, put it behind us,
and move forward into a glorious future.
"Ohmygosh, the reporter misspelled my name. That's the third time now."
If you're smart, by this point you have aligned with other parents and concerned
community members. You develop a game plan and start strategizing, sharing the
STUFF you've found.
community members. You develop a game plan and start strategizing, sharing the
STUFF you've found.
"Ohmygosh, Sandy. I've just found some really good STUFF . . . . Yeah, I'll
meet you behind the nonfiction stack at the library. Be sure and whisper.
And DON'T TELL ANYBODY. We’ll pretend we don’t know each other. No, I
think a trench coat and a Fedora would definitely be over the top.“
meet you behind the nonfiction stack at the library. Be sure and whisper.
And DON'T TELL ANYBODY. We’ll pretend we don’t know each other. No, I
think a trench coat and a Fedora would definitely be over the top.“
About now, emails and blogs play a big role.
“Ohmygosh, this STUFF is red hot. Bob, have just scanned all 23 pages,
sending them as an attachment. You won’t recognize the mailbox name.
The subject line will be either "Hot tamale soup" or "Mixed-breed
Newfoundland puppies."
sending them as an attachment. You won’t recognize the mailbox name.
The subject line will be either "Hot tamale soup" or "Mixed-breed
Newfoundland puppies."
You take the STUFF to state agencies, none of whom help. Bureaucracies tend to
align with bureaucracies and government employees tend to align with government
employees. At most, the state auditor/attorney general/education agency/DA may
make perfunctory statements and/or reports based solely on what you and the other
parents have found, but nothing beyond that. And they'll give the school district a
year, two years, five years, and endless opportunities, to correct, save face.
align with bureaucracies and government employees tend to align with government
employees. At most, the state auditor/attorney general/education agency/DA may
make perfunctory statements and/or reports based solely on what you and the other
parents have found, but nothing beyond that. And they'll give the school district a
year, two years, five years, and endless opportunities, to correct, save face.
"Ohmygosh, it’s a letter from the DA! He says there’s not enough here to
warrant his pursuing it. Says we would have better luck filing our own civil
lawsuit--how dumb does he think we are?“
warrant his pursuing it. Says we would have better luck filing our own civil
lawsuit--how dumb does he think we are?“
Your mid-week shopping list might look something like this: A dozen eggs, milk and
bread from the grocery store, pick up shirts at the dry cleaners, check out lightweight
body mics at the electronics store to wear whenever you have to go anywhere near
the administration building . . . .
bread from the grocery store, pick up shirts at the dry cleaners, check out lightweight
body mics at the electronics store to wear whenever you have to go anywhere near
the administration building . . . .
"Ohmygosh, I feel like a cross between James Bond and Inspector
Clouseau."
Clouseau."
At this point things appear really discouraging. But this is actually the turnaround
point. Now the STUFF becomes paramount. You share it however you can--
meetings, over the lettuce at the grocery store, emails, etc. Or you suddenly find
yourself in demand as a local speaker, and you wave about a copy of your best
paper record incased in a plastic sleeve and they pass it around the room while
you‘re talking.
point. Now the STUFF becomes paramount. You share it however you can--
meetings, over the lettuce at the grocery store, emails, etc. Or you suddenly find
yourself in demand as a local speaker, and you wave about a copy of your best
paper record incased in a plastic sleeve and they pass it around the room while
you‘re talking.
“Ohmygosh, can you believe that back of that check! It was written by our
district’s CFO -- there's her signature right there on the front -- to our Robin
Hood partner district. Now turn it over, see where they endorsed it back to
our district -- and then our CFO endorsed it over to the computer vendor our
tech guy's friends with and the computer vendor deposited it in his personal
checking account.” Or, "Ohmygosh, I'm so glad to be here at the garden
club today, to bring you up to date on some of the information we've been
working on at the school district -- STUFF we're finding that impacts your
kids and your taxes. Here‘s our plan and here‘s what we want to
accomplish."
district’s CFO -- there's her signature right there on the front -- to our Robin
Hood partner district. Now turn it over, see where they endorsed it back to
our district -- and then our CFO endorsed it over to the computer vendor our
tech guy's friends with and the computer vendor deposited it in his personal
checking account.” Or, "Ohmygosh, I'm so glad to be here at the garden
club today, to bring you up to date on some of the information we've been
working on at the school district -- STUFF we're finding that impacts your
kids and your taxes. Here‘s our plan and here‘s what we want to
accomplish."
Opposition to your activities escalates. You’re accused of being negative--or if
you’re a board member, your superintendent says you’re micromanaging and
starts complaining to the public and the press about the time, trouble and
manpower expense your open records requests are "costing" the district.
you’re a board member, your superintendent says you’re micromanaging and
starts complaining to the public and the press about the time, trouble and
manpower expense your open records requests are "costing" the district.
“Ohmygosh, I just asked to see the district’s legal bills, and the board
president's has called in the state education agency governance unit, says I'm
a troublemaker. Could he be afraid I'll start asking about his selling his
company's air conditioning units to all the new schools?”
president's has called in the state education agency governance unit, says I'm
a troublemaker. Could he be afraid I'll start asking about his selling his
company's air conditioning units to all the new schools?”
If you’re doing what you’re doing correctly, the attacks becoming increasingly
personal and petty.
personal and petty.
“Ohmygosh, honey, that cartoon in the local paper done by the high school
math teacher doesn’t look anything like you.”
math teacher doesn’t look anything like you.”
Word about the STUFF gets around the community and develops a life of its own.
Things happen. Usually the bad guys leave because they don't like being in this
kind of limelight. Those bits of paper--receipts, etc.--are now solid gold.
Things happen. Usually the bad guys leave because they don't like being in this
kind of limelight. Those bits of paper--receipts, etc.--are now solid gold.
“Ohmygosh, can you believe the superintendent's already gone. And the
ass't supe is leaving next week although nobody will miss her, who knew
what she did all day long except move around stacks of paper. Already the
atmosphere over at the high school's so much better. They’re finally
enforcing the dress code--now the kids going to school at eight in the
morning don‘t look like they‘re leaving a rock concert."
ass't supe is leaving next week although nobody will miss her, who knew
what she did all day long except move around stacks of paper. Already the
atmosphere over at the high school's so much better. They’re finally
enforcing the dress code--now the kids going to school at eight in the
morning don‘t look like they‘re leaving a rock concert."
Ahead lies the danger of false spring. A dependable and savvy friend or two
join(s) the school board and you feel you can finally sit back and take a
breather.
join(s) the school board and you feel you can finally sit back and take a
breather.
"Ohmygosh, Mom, you made a real home cooked dinner tonight. On real
plates. This is so much better than cold cereal. Or pizza. Again."
plates. This is so much better than cold cereal. Or pizza. Again."
How's your stamina? Take a breather and regroup, prepare to ramp up your
efforts.
efforts.
| Please also check out the "Modern Minutemen" and "Success Stories, Kindred Spirits" page for encouraging news of what has already been accomplished locally and nationally. |
| School reform at the national level: No quick or easy fixes there either. |
SCHOOL REFORM: Progress Requires Persistence
By David W. Kirkpatrick, Senior Education Fellow - U.S. Freedom Foundation
Dave Kirkpatrick addresses overcoming difficulties
including inertia and unions in the context of the
amount of time it took women to gain suffrage
here in the U.S.
By David W. Kirkpatrick, Senior Education Fellow - U.S. Freedom Foundation
Dave Kirkpatrick addresses overcoming difficulties
including inertia and unions in the context of the
amount of time it took women to gain suffrage
here in the U.S.
| 1848 to 1920: A 72-year journey |
In her autobiography the late Bella Abzug reported the following:
"Just to get the right to vote it took women, as one of the suffrage leaders pointed out, 'fifty-two
years of pauseless campaigns, 56 state referendum campaigns, 480 legislative campaigns to get
state amendments submitted, 47 constitutional convention campaigns, 19 campaigns to get
suffrage planks in party platforms, 19 campaigns in 19 successive Congresses to get the federal
amendment submitted and then the final ratification campaign'" (p. 30, Bella, NY: Saturday
Review Press, 1972).
Thus the earliest reformers of the women's movement, who had set the groundwork, such as an
1848 meeting in Seneca, New York, did not live to see their ultimate victory, the 1920 adoption of
the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.
While, contrary to the cliche, history does not repeat itself, certain tendencies do recur and school
reform is no exception.
"Just to get the right to vote it took women, as one of the suffrage leaders pointed out, 'fifty-two
years of pauseless campaigns, 56 state referendum campaigns, 480 legislative campaigns to get
state amendments submitted, 47 constitutional convention campaigns, 19 campaigns to get
suffrage planks in party platforms, 19 campaigns in 19 successive Congresses to get the federal
amendment submitted and then the final ratification campaign'" (p. 30, Bella, NY: Saturday
Review Press, 1972).
Thus the earliest reformers of the women's movement, who had set the groundwork, such as an
1848 meeting in Seneca, New York, did not live to see their ultimate victory, the 1920 adoption of
the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.
While, contrary to the cliche, history does not repeat itself, certain tendencies do recur and school
reform is no exception.
Institutions do not get reformed from within, and the
government's schools won't either. As L. Thomas Hopkins
noted, in the PHI DELTA KAPPAN of June 1974, "History
shows that in crisis the people in power tend to refine and
intensify the status quo system which eventually destroys
them. This is the present movement in education."
Indeed it is. If anyone is destroying the present system it is
not reformers who have little influence. It is those who are
government's schools won't either. As L. Thomas Hopkins
noted, in the PHI DELTA KAPPAN of June 1974, "History
shows that in crisis the people in power tend to refine and
intensify the status quo system which eventually destroys
them. This is the present movement in education."
Indeed it is. If anyone is destroying the present system it is
not reformers who have little influence. It is those who are
| "Institutions do not get reformed from within." |
determined to maintain the status quo against any challenges, deny failings despite all evidence to
the contrary, and insist th way to do better is to do more of what is currently being practiced,
whether or not it works.
As Harold G. Shane said in another KAPPAN article, in September 1975, "U.S. education probably
cannot be expected to change significantly unless an ecological or atomic Pearl Harbor occurs.
Inertia, both physical and psychological, must be overcome first." KAPPAN is the magazine of Phi
Delta Kappa, an organization of professional educators, not that of some "right wing school
bashers."
Remember, the system exists for children, not children for the system.
Despite all this, education reformers may at last take heart. While there is still far too long to
go, more successful education reforms have been made in the past decade than either the labor or
the women's rights movements made in 50 years.
Reform is not easy. It takes time, energy, commitment and courage.
We must and we will succeed.
the contrary, and insist th way to do better is to do more of what is currently being practiced,
whether or not it works.
As Harold G. Shane said in another KAPPAN article, in September 1975, "U.S. education probably
cannot be expected to change significantly unless an ecological or atomic Pearl Harbor occurs.
Inertia, both physical and psychological, must be overcome first." KAPPAN is the magazine of Phi
Delta Kappa, an organization of professional educators, not that of some "right wing school
bashers."
Remember, the system exists for children, not children for the system.
Despite all this, education reformers may at last take heart. While there is still far too long to
go, more successful education reforms have been made in the past decade than either the labor or
the women's rights movements made in 50 years.
Reform is not easy. It takes time, energy, commitment and courage.
We must and we will succeed.
| "The most successful policies...have been those in which governments... 'contract out,'...we are beginning to apply to elementary education what we learned forty years ago from the G.I. Bill of Rights with respect to higher education. Government sets the rules, government sets the standards, government provides. But government does not do." pp 135-5, Peter F. Drucker, Post-Capitalist Society, NY: HarperBusiness, 1993 |
An Air Force veteran who served in both WWII and Korea, Dave Kirkpatrick used the GI Bill to attend a
private for-profit proprietary radio trade school in Boston, Massachusetts and entered the radio field. Later he
graduated from college at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a bachelors degree in education
then obtained his masters degree in history from LeHigh University. Dave taught high school history for ten
years before becoming the local president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association which later
condemned him for his pro-school choice stance. He then went on to a number of administrative positions in
state government including gubernatorial education advisor; Dave was also executive director of a
pro-voucher group he founded in 1992, the REACH Alliance. He is Senior Education Fellow, Buckeye
Institute, Assessment Administrator, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005;Founding
Board Member, Renaissance Institute for Vital Education Reform (RIVER), 2004-; Contributing Editor for
School Reform News published by The Heartland Institute, Chicago. Other affiliations have included
Editor-in-chief of InsiderUpdate, weekly email service from SchoolReformers.com, 2001-2003, member of the
Editorial Board and contributor to Texas Education Review; Education Writer for online publisher
iUniverse.com; Fellow with the Public Service Research Foundation; Senior Fellow for Teacher Choice, the
Alexis de Tocqueville Institution; Senior Fellow, The Allegheny Institute, Pittsburgh; Distinguished Fellow,
Blum Center for Parental Freedom in Education, Marquette University, Milwaukee. In addition to being Senior
Education Fellow at the U.S. Freedom Foundation, Dave writes prolifically on school reform issues and many
of his articles can be found at EducationNews.org. and www.freedomfoundation.us.
private for-profit proprietary radio trade school in Boston, Massachusetts and entered the radio field. Later he
graduated from college at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a bachelors degree in education
then obtained his masters degree in history from LeHigh University. Dave taught high school history for ten
years before becoming the local president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association which later
condemned him for his pro-school choice stance. He then went on to a number of administrative positions in
state government including gubernatorial education advisor; Dave was also executive director of a
pro-voucher group he founded in 1992, the REACH Alliance. He is Senior Education Fellow, Buckeye
Institute, Assessment Administrator, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005;Founding
Board Member, Renaissance Institute for Vital Education Reform (RIVER), 2004-; Contributing Editor for
School Reform News published by The Heartland Institute, Chicago. Other affiliations have included
Editor-in-chief of InsiderUpdate, weekly email service from SchoolReformers.com, 2001-2003, member of the
Editorial Board and contributor to Texas Education Review; Education Writer for online publisher
iUniverse.com; Fellow with the Public Service Research Foundation; Senior Fellow for Teacher Choice, the
Alexis de Tocqueville Institution; Senior Fellow, The Allegheny Institute, Pittsburgh; Distinguished Fellow,
Blum Center for Parental Freedom in Education, Marquette University, Milwaukee. In addition to being Senior
Education Fellow at the U.S. Freedom Foundation, Dave writes prolifically on school reform issues and many
of his articles can be found at EducationNews.org. and www.freedomfoundation.us.
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
| H e l p i n g A m e r i c a ' s M o m s & D a d s , s t u d e n t s a n d t a x p a y e r s |
WHAT'S WRONG ___ WHO'S RESPONSIBLE Education, Inc. & the big pot o'money Administrators on the Move, Educators in the News (Aa-Ald) (Ale-Alp) (AlQ-Anc) (And-Arz) (As-Az) Featured educator Where are they now? Lax oversight The media ___ WHAT YOU CAN DO Accountability Practical how-to's Success stories, Kindred spirits What to expect ___ Commentary/Home About Contact |
AASA - American Association of School Administrators ASA - Association of School Administrators CSD - Consolidated School District DOE - Department of Education ES - Elementary School HS - High School ISD - Independent School District JHS - Junior High School MS - Middle School MSM - Mainstream media NSBA - National School Boards Association NSPRA - National School Public Relations Association PS - Public School(s) SBEC - State Board for Educator Certification SD - School District Sup't - Superintendent TAKS - Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills TASA - Texas Association of School Administrators TASB - Texas Association of School Boards TASBO - Texas Association of School Business Officials TEA - Texas Education Agency TEKS - Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills USD - UnifiedUnited School District |
| GUIDE |
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| QUOTES |
Generally, we have a board who appears to be manipulated by our superintendent and has lost sight of their fiduciary and oversight responsibilities," Blackburn wrote in his letter. [Guy Blackburn was the OISD employee who blew the whistle on OISD supe James Redmond.] "I'd been watching for quite a while, and I detested what I saw," Blackburn said this week. "I began to see a pattern of corruption emerging from the superintendent's office. I heard from many top managers they were concerned, also." Blackburn waited for action on the part of the state but heard nothing. "I was quite frightened because I didn't know if I was covered under the whistle-blower law," Blackburn said. Eventually, he learned he was. Independently-- around the same period in 2001 and early 2002-- a group of supervising employees from several departments was noticing what it thought was mismanagement on the part of Redmond. Now known as the "whistle-blowers," they began to document anything they thought was not right. They took what they found to an assistant superintendent and then to the deputy superintendent and finally to the Oakland Schools Board of Education, when their concerns finally reached the public venue. The five, Sherry McMillan, director of human resources; Mark Rajter, assistant superintendent; John Fitzgerald, director of financial services; Tammy Evans, director of technology services; and Katrina Brunette, manager of purchasing, not only risked their jobs by going over Redmond's head but also threatened to quit if something wasn't done about it. They have consistently declined further comment. During the time of The Whall Group investigation --an investigation by an outside firm hired by the board--"everybody was alarmed when the board did not put Redmond on administrative leave, and people felt they were not free to express their views. When the draft (of the investigation) was given to Redmond, the names of all the people interviewed were revealed, and people began feeling vulnerable," Blackburn said. The investigation led to the firing of Redmond in January 2003. "To my surprise, the board really was very unaware of problems within the organization," Blackburn said. "I celebrated the termination of his employment and removal of the negative force in the organization. --DIANA DILLABER MURRAY The Daily Oakland Press |
| Helping parents & taxpayers implode Education, Inc. |
| I n p r o g r e s s |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. |
| Copyright 1999-2007 Peyton Wolcott |
| POP QUIZ: Your supe may talk about transparency, but are his/her expense reports open to any and all comers, placed just inside the front door? Or do you have to jump through hoops for the privilege of looking at how he/she spends your tax dollars? |
David v. Goliath: How America's Moms & Dads are taking on Education, Inc. PEYTON WOLCOTT |
Get this: There's a new principle in American education-- namely, that public schools are to be "uniformly" bad. Such is the rock-bottom meaning of that 5-2 Florida Supreme Court decision last week scuttling a public school voucher program . . . . Under the program, 730 such students are being educated in private schools. The idea is that we'll drag 'em back to the dungeons next fall. --Bill Murchison Town Hall |
The reformers' task is never easy. Initial advantages--established organizations, numbers,
money, inertia, familiarity, etc.--are with what is rather than with what could be.
Capitalizing on this truth, the education establishment, led by the two major teacher unions, has
presented massive resistance to every suggested major reform, especially financial grants
permitting students to attend the school of their choice.
A common ploy is to resort to name-calling, terming reformers as "school bashers," "the right
wing," "religious radicals," etc., without defining these terms or offering proof.
Another tactic is to cite defeated ballot initiatives. It is rarely pointed out that not only initial polls
but even exit polls often show public support of such grants by about a 2-1 margin. Voting that is
almost exactly the reverse, comes after campaigns in which opponents use huge amounts of money
and every negative tactic they think will work. As is said about wars, the truth is the first casualty.
The result? What the public really fears is the initiatives' wording.
It is suggested that reformers give up. This fails to recognize legislative victories, favorable court
decisions, and the success of publicly or privately funded programs, as well as growing public support
as indicated in opinion polls.
Most of all, the unions don't recognize and probably don't know, what Michael Kazin noted in The
Populist Persuasion: "From 1880 until the Great Depression, state and federal judges handed down
at least 4,300 separate injunctions against unions" (p. 64). That averages over 80 a year, nearly
seven a month, for half a century.
Predecessors of today's unionists persisted until they won enough political support to authorize
their existence. For union officers and staff to say education reformers should leave the field
because of a few losses is to deny their own past.
money, inertia, familiarity, etc.--are with what is rather than with what could be.
Capitalizing on this truth, the education establishment, led by the two major teacher unions, has
presented massive resistance to every suggested major reform, especially financial grants
permitting students to attend the school of their choice.
A common ploy is to resort to name-calling, terming reformers as "school bashers," "the right
wing," "religious radicals," etc., without defining these terms or offering proof.
Another tactic is to cite defeated ballot initiatives. It is rarely pointed out that not only initial polls
but even exit polls often show public support of such grants by about a 2-1 margin. Voting that is
almost exactly the reverse, comes after campaigns in which opponents use huge amounts of money
and every negative tactic they think will work. As is said about wars, the truth is the first casualty.
The result? What the public really fears is the initiatives' wording.
It is suggested that reformers give up. This fails to recognize legislative victories, favorable court
decisions, and the success of publicly or privately funded programs, as well as growing public support
as indicated in opinion polls.
Most of all, the unions don't recognize and probably don't know, what Michael Kazin noted in The
Populist Persuasion: "From 1880 until the Great Depression, state and federal judges handed down
at least 4,300 separate injunctions against unions" (p. 64). That averages over 80 a year, nearly
seven a month, for half a century.
Predecessors of today's unionists persisted until they won enough political support to authorize
their existence. For union officers and staff to say education reformers should leave the field
because of a few losses is to deny their own past.