Many people ask me about the power and influence of teachers unions. My friend Ron Reynolds heads up the California Association of Private School Organizations. In this week’s Mid-Week Mailer he discussed the upcoming national six-day event – the National Education Association’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly. Without further comment, I quote the following from his newsletter:
“To obtain some sense of the political muscle possessed by the NEA and its state affiliates, take a quick look at this table showing revenue and staff information for 2008-09. In that year, combined revenues received by the NEA and its affiliates amounted to a staggering $1.5 billion dollars. That billion, with a “B.” NEA headquarters in Washington, DC, employed a staff of 676 people. By way of comparison, although 10 percent of all students in grades K-12 receive their education in private schools, the Council for American Private Education maintains a staff of two.
The NEA’s California state affiliate, the California Teachers Association, received nearly $179 million in dues revenue in 2008-09, and employed a staff of 597.” [The Oregon Education Association received more than $22 million in the same year.]
Find your state on the list and ask yourself the same question.
Posted by marks on Friday July 1, 2011 at 10:48AM