Education

The Teachers’ Unions’ Lack of Moral Character

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 15, 2007 |

In my most recent post, I wrote these words: “We will learn a lot in the coming weeks and months about the priorities and values of the various stakeholders, won’t we?” Yes, indeed. Reinforcing the point of that question, John McCain is quoted in an earlier post about war: “Character,” writes the younger [John] McCain,…

The Two Alternatives Before Us: Educational Programs & Teacher Jobs OR Excessive Adult Entitlements

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 13, 2007 |

Valerie Forti, President of The Education Partnership, wrote these words yesterday in a ProJo editorial: This year, the Rhode Island General Assembly sent a very clear message to school districts and to unions. In level-funding state education aid, after passing a Senate bill last year that checks property-tax increases, legislators sent the message that school…

The NEA in East Greenwich: Reflections On The Week That Was

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 12, 2007 |

Some reflections on the week that was, on what happened last week in East Greenwich and how it connects to broader issues across Rhode Island: LESSON #1: THE NEA LIES REPEATEDLY Just like they did in 2004-05, the NEA resorted to its typical Kremlin-esque disinformation campaign of lies and distortions to the working families and…

Other Public Education News

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 12, 2007 |

Word is in that Franklin, MA settled its contract with a 33% health insurance premium co-payment. Plus step increases of 2%, 2.25%, and 2.5% over 3 years. Starting to make 20% look like a deal! The ProJo weighs in on the teachers’ strikes. More on developments in West Warwick here and here.

Hold on, hold on. Keep the money coming!

By Justin Katz | September 10, 2007 |

The following segment of Rhode Island Association of School Principals Executive Director John Golden’s op-ed in yesterday’s Providence Journal struck me as noteworthy — taken in context of his declaration that public education ought to be left to educators — and his appearance on Dan Yorke’s show today deepened the concerns that the passage originally…

Another Lie by the NEA: East Greenwich Teachers Would Take Pay Cuts Under School Committee Proposals

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 7, 2007 |

One of the other lies being spread by the NEA is that the proposals offered by the East Greenwich School Committee would result in pay cuts for teachers. The NEA tried to pass off this lie as fact in 2004-05 and Anchor Rising showed it was a lie then. And it is a lie in…

News Flash: Judge Orders East Greenwich Teachers Back to Work on Friday, September 7

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 6, 2007 |

More details when we have them. UPDATE I just got off the phone with Superintendent Charlie Meyers who told me the Judge made these primary points at court this afternoon: There would be irreparable harm if the children were not back in school tomorrow. The School Department clearly demonstrated the point about irreparable harm in…

The Continuing NEA Disinformation Campaign in East Greenwich: Lies, More Lies & Even Some Melodrama

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 6, 2007 |

The NEA disinformation campaign continues. It is so patheticly transparent that it should be funny. But it is hard to laugh when they willingly and consciously exploit our children as pawns in their game of greed. However, just like we saw during the collapse of the Iron Curtain, technology allows us to immediately skewer the…

Mr. Subliminal Must Have Written the EG Teachers “Open Letter”

By Marc Comtois | September 6, 2007 |

I know Dan Yorke has been giving this some play this afternoon, but I honestly thought the same thing when I stumbled across this “open letter” from East Greenwich Teachers to the public. Namely, it’s not a good idea to imply that you–the teachers–are better at raising the kids than their parents. Especially this part…

The Continuing Saga of the Funding Formula Distraction — A Tale of Two Cities

By Carroll Andrew Morse | September 6, 2007 |

I’m not sure if Jennifer D. Jordan is speaking for herself or indirectly quoting State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed in the highlighted section of this excerpt from Wednesday’s Projo…A state law known as Senate Bill 3050 also went into effect this year; the law gradually lowers the cap on the amount cities and towns…