California Teachers Association Attacks Democrat Reform Groups

Larry Sand, as usual, has ferreted out another outrageous example of California Teachers’ Association’s (CTA) blatant hypocrisy.  While one hand of the CTA hands millions in forced dues dollars over to support Democrat candidates, the other hand is busy sponsoring resolutions condemning StudentsFirst.org, and Democrats for Education Reform.  These two worthy groups are dedicated to putting the needs of children first, unlike teacher union officials, whose insatiable lust for money and power never ends, and certain never puts the students first. Check out Larry’s column at UnionWatch.org.

At last week’s California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento, the California Teachers Association went into attack mode, sponsoring a resolution suggesting that two organizations run by prominent Democrats are backed by dastardly corporate Republican types. While not named in the resolution, two outspoken leaders of the reform movement – Michelle Rhee (StudentsFirst) and Gloria Romero (California director of Democrats for Education Reform) – were clearly targeted as heretics.

Rhee’s “sin” is that she actually puts the needs and interests of school children before adults. Romero, as a state senator, authored the nation’s first “Parent Trigger” law and is a strong proponent of school choice.

I recently wrote about my participation on a panel with CTA president Dean Vogel (and Romero) in early March. At that event, sponsored by the Conservative Forum of Silicon Valley, Vogel was Mr. Congeniality and kept stressing the importance of “working together.” But while talking to the party faithful at the convention, a very strident Vogel spouted typical teacher union talking points and was unsparing in his attacks.