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Political Attacks

Political Attacks. Funding Coercion ESEA/NCLB Elementary and Secondary Education Act No Child Left Behind RttT Race to the Top SIG (School Improvement Grant) RAD (Required Action District). The Players. Traditional foes/ privatizers Traditional allies/union Things have changed

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Political Attacks

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  1. Political Attacks • Funding Coercion • ESEA/NCLB • Elementary and Secondary Education Act • No Child Left Behind • RttT • Race to the Top • SIG (School Improvement Grant) • RAD (Required Action District)

  2. The Players • Traditional foes/privatizers • Traditional allies/union • Things have changed • DFER – Democrats For Education Reform • Just one example

  3. WEA Mythbusters!

  4. Not Your Mother’s Education Reform Lay of the Land

  5. Lay of the Land

  6. Neo-reformer Organizers

  7. Neo-reformers STRATEGIC GAME PLAN • Well-funded neo-reform advocacy groups (LEV, P4L, SFC) and coalitions (ESN) • Focus on media markets • Engage policymakers/influence brokers • Communications/PR Consultants • Create public appeal issue agendas/concepts • Fund organizers, bargainers and researchers • Interconnected (boards, funding, etc.) • “Partner” with district leaders

  8. Lay of the Land: Monetary Resources

  9. Pacific NW Initiative w/Early Learning (Director David Bley) U.S. College Ready K-12 w/High School focus (Director Vicki Phillips) GATES FOUNDATIONDRAFT(11/10) U.S. Post-Secondary Success (Director Hillary Pennington) U.S. Programs President Allan Golston WA State P-K to Career Focus GF-FUNDED EDUCATION ADVOCACY GROUPS Community Center for Education Results (CCER) Ethnic Commissions (some) League of Education Voters (LEV) Partnership for Learning (PFL) Stand for Children (SFC) U.S. Programs Leadership link: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/leadership/Pages/united-states-team.aspx

  10. Lay of the Land: Human Resources

  11. 82,000 Members Means…

  12. WASHINGTON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC DIRECTION (CSD) ORGANIZING FUNDING STRENGTHENING OUR SCHOOLS PUBLIC SECTOR UNION ATTACKS

  13. STRENGTHENING PUBLIC EDUCATION • Connect with your local association: • Read Association newsletters and attend meetings. • Track and share up-to-date information and take advantage of opportunities for involvement/activism. • Take political action: through Our Voice Washington at http://www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org/ • Be informed: access www.washingtonea.org • Use social media to: [1] post great things you do to help students achieve and succeed, [2] track and comment on neo-reformer activities and [3] share information (e.g., research, articles, blogs, etc.) about what works for students • Participate: in neo-reformer trainings and events and focus the conversation on what you know works for students!

  14. Stand for Children’s Edelman

  15. Edelman Video Discussion : • What tactics did SFC use? • What were the results? • What role did the union play? • What does this say about what we may expect in WA? • How can we be prepared in our locals, UniServs, and state Association? • How can we use this information?

  16. A SFC Insider Speaks Out • http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/07/stand-for-children-a-hometown-perspective-of-its-evolution/

  17. State Level Attacks on Public Sector Unions February 2011

  18. Remember our critics’ goals • Distract and Criticize • Divert money from public schools • Expand privatization • Reduce the influence of organized labor

  19. Tactics to accomplish their goals • Attack WEA publicly and through our members • Position as the state budget “expert” – EFF (FF), Washington Policy Center • Establish an alternative to WEA membership - NWPE

  20. What is driving them? • Supported by Right-Wing, out-of-state foundations • Those foundations are opposed to labor organizations, big government and public education

  21. Some national funders Walton Foundation Friedman Foundation Bradley Foundation Hume Foundation Sarah Scaife Foundation Castle Rock Foundation Randolph Foundation Stranahan Foundation Roe Foundation Reduced spending including education Vouchers, tax credits for private schools ‘Failing schools’ Teacher certification Privatized government services Anti-labor bills: dues and bargaining Evergreen Freedom Foundation Northwest Professional Educators

  22. Form of the attacks • Challenges to Agency Fee and political involvement - focused on litigation • Attacks on Bargaining Rights – model ALEC legislation, ed reform legislation, possible ballot measures • Attacks on Public Employee Benefits – legislative attacks, audits of efficiencies

  23. Focus for the past 13 years • Education focus - choice - i.e. vouchers and charters • Labor focus – the ills of public sector unionism and the “drain” on government resources

  24. What has changed? • New group of potential allies could change the focus of the attacks • Shrinking state resources • School district budget woes • Potential change of attitudes among members

  25. What to watch out for • A new environment for NWPE to attempt to expand membership • More organized attempts to create division within WEA membership – at the state and local level • Possible ballot measures that are intended to distract, divide and conquer

  26. What to watch out for • Alliances among unlikely partners who may have different motivations but could benefit from working together • Local, as opposed to state-wide, attacks • More open critique of the relevancy and benefits of unions

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