Education

East Greenwich School Committee: Press Release & General Update

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 6, 2007 |

A late Wednesday night press release (a Word document) from the East Greenwich School Committee: The East Greenwich School Committee is disappointed and frustrated that the East Greenwich teachers’ union has decided to continue their strike and refuse to return to school. When the Committee asked the union to return to the classrooms while continuing…

Sometimes What is Old is New: Misguided Incentives Drive Public Sector Taxation

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 6, 2007 |

As we debate the teachers’ strikes, some of the issues at stake took me back to my second post ever on Anchor Rising: Talking about a pro-tax ballot initiative defeated in Oregon during 2002, a Wall Street Journal editorial stated: When the budget issue is framed in terms of higher taxes, voters don’t understand why…

A Case of Crossed Hands

By Justin Katz | September 5, 2007 |

Something about the following quotation — offered in “State blamed for teacher strikes — from Bob Walsh gives me the impression that there’s a long-term plan behind the words: “We predicted this would happen,” said Robert A. Walsh Jr., executive director of the National Education Association of Rhode Island, which represents 28 teacher locals. “We…

The NEA’s Latest Disinformation Campaign in East Greenwich

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 5, 2007 |

I wrote these words about the NEA’s last disinformation campaign in East Greenwich back in 2004-2005: Comments by National Education Association (NEA) teachers’ union officials remind me of words spoken years ago by Soviet officials, whose views of the world were subsequently shown to have no connection to any form of reality. As the union…

More on the Issues in the East Greenwich Teachers’ Union Strike

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 4, 2007 |

A lot of words are being said as the East Greenwich teachers go out on strike. Many of the public comments by union officials and some teachers have nothing to do with the facts. These contract negotiations and strikes are not about doing right by our children or about education. They are about maximizing adult…

Breaking News on Anchor Rising: East Greenwich Teachers to Strike on Tuesday

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 4, 2007 |

You heard it here first: East Greenwich teachers will strike on Tuesday morning. More thoughts on their illegal strike here. UPDATE: ARE THERE REALLY 8-12% ANNUAL SALARY INCREASES IN THESE CONTRACTS? Regarding Bob’s comment of “I am certain no one is asking for such high pay increases, as you propose…You might want to get accurate…

Update on the East Greenwich Teachers’ Contract & Suggested Future Actions

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 3, 2007 |

Here is the latest on the East Greenwich School District teachers’ contract status: The NEA voted last Thursday to let their negotiating team call a strike. The current contract expired last Friday. There was a special School Committee meeting last Saturday. Tuesday is the first day of school. Teachers are paid prospectively and, because of…

Education Partnership Reports: Learning a lot more about RI teachers’ union contracts

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 2, 2007 |

A lot of fur is flying in the Comments sections of various posts on teachers’ union contracts. If you want to get some good information on such contracts in RI, your best bet is to go read the three annual reports by The Education Partnership: Teacher Contracts: Restoring the Balance (Volume I, 2005) Teacher Contracts:…

Saying “No” to Legalized Extortion

By Donald B. Hawthorne | September 1, 2007 |

I endorse John’s words in the Comments section of Justin’s post entitled Children Are Their Life? No, Children Are Their Leverage.: Maybe someday in RI a school committee will have the guts to fire striking teachers, replace them with new ones, and say to the union, “see you in court.” I have no doubt where…

Re: Researching from Outside the Library

By Donald B. Hawthorne | August 31, 2007 |

As a former member of the East Greenwich School Committee, I read Justin’s post about Pat Crowley’s comments on the Burrillville teachers’ strike with a certain bemusement. Justin touches on one of the really big issues about RI teachers’ union contract negotiations: It is my experience that it was the teachers’ union who demanded that…