Education Review: New Fronts Opening in Struggle Against Union Control

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IN THIS EDITION

What to Watch Outcry is rising from both left and right as new education standards force teachers to discard poetry for stale government documents Number of the Week How much are Americans spending to fund one of the least innovative sectors in the U.S. economy?  Quote of the Week A former union president says the tide is turning... Don't Miss Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks tomorrow at Brookings - tune in for the live webcast!

In Struggle Against Union Control, New Website Provides Valuable Resources By Amanda Lucas FreeToTeach.org, a new website created by the Pennsylvania-based Commonwealth Foundation, helps Pennsylvania teachers understand education unions and their rights when it comes to joining a union. Although the site is geared towards Pennsylvania, FreeToTeach.org provides valuable information for educators nationwide. For example, the Teachers’ Bill of Rights outlines principles for reforming labor policy in a way that puts teachers’ interests ahead of special interests. Ever wonder where union dues go? A large portion—45 percent—is spent on overhead, including paying for “luxury conferences, golf outings, and politics,” as well as cushy union salaries. National Education Association president Dennis van Roekel’s $460,000 annual salary is financed by teachers’ union fees. READ AND SHARE THE FULL STORY >> What To Watch Common Core Standards Spark War over Words The Washington Post reports... English teachers say that Common Core education standards are requiring them to replace classic literature with “informational texts.” Number of the Week $596 Billion Despite receiving $596 billion in taxpayer dollars every year, the United States’ K-12 education system is one of the least innovative sectors in the economy. But “new technologies” and “a renewed focus on student performance” has the potential to pave the way for a better education system. . See Focus on For-Profits in K-12 Education Misses the Real Divide   Quote of the Week “Public education is being redefined. It is no longer a closed system of neighborhood schools that assign students to schools by zip code. Instead, public education is evolving into an open and diverse network of structured learning environments, many of which are privately-owned and managed…” - former union president Doug Tuthill Don’t Miss New Analysis: Education Isn’t Entirely About Economic Utility “Policymakers, pundits, and others…who control our increasingly centralized education system focus almost exclusively on economic utility as the criteria for making education policy decisions… Parents don’t think about education this way, but they have less and less say over what happens in the rearing of their children to become what they hope will be civilized human beings,” writes University of Arkansas’ Jay P. Greene This Week's Event   Gov. Bobby Jindal on IMPROVING CHOICE AND COMPETITION Tomorrow, on DECEMBER 11 at 1:30 EST,  Louisiana's Governor speaks on education reform at The Brookings Institution. Watch the Live Webcast >> About The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute -- a think tank -- whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. The Heritage Foundation  |  214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002  |  202.546.4400