Bush Education Secretary Calls Teachers Terrorists

[sportdawg]

Bush Education Secretary Calls Teachers Terrorists as States Slam Bush on Broken Education Promises

Education Secretary Rod Paige compared the nation's teachers to terrorists, looking to shift blame for the Bush administration's failures that are leaving millions of children behind. The White House faces increasing pressure over President Bush's broken promises regarding the No Child Left Behind Act, with a growing number of states taking action to opt out of the law's unfunded mandates.

Speaking in a private meeting with governors from around the country on February 23, Paige described the National Education Association, the nation's largest organization of teachers (with 3 million members), as a "terrorist organization."

Paige has previously said that teachers are a "coalition of the whining" and accused them of trying to "distort information" on the NCLB Act.

The Bush administration has been under increasing pressure from teachers, parents, school administrators, and state governments as Bush has repeatedly failed to give states the funds they need to meet the stringent goals set out in the No Child Left Behind Act.

For example, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates of Virginia recently passed a resolution 98-1 calling on Congress to allow the state to opt out of No Child Left Behind, saying the law costs "literally millions of dollars that Virginia does not have."

Utah's Republican-dominated House passed a measure 64-8 stating that the state will not comply with any requirements of the law that are not fully funded by the federal government.

With states mired in their worst fiscal crises since World War II, more than a dozen states in every region of the country have considered or passed measures calling on more funding for the law or choosing to opt out. Without the funds promised by President Bush when he signed NCLB (and subsequently left out of his future budgets), states have been unable to afford the stringent requirement of the law without massive cuts to their current education programs, leaving millions of children behind.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

My mother is a teacher and would agree with his characterization of this group.

[sportdawg]

I am an unemployeed teacher because of budget cuts.

I too know several teachers who were the victims of budget cuts.

They had some choice words on how the No Child Left Behind Act actually hurts education even more.

[zharkins]

I am a teacher, and I hate every second of it. Luckily, since I am part of a teachers union, I don't have to do squat because I can't get fired, and I get scheduled raises for every year I show up at school. Maybe if I got paid more, I would care, or become a good teacher. Or maybe if a brand new school were built, I would care that my students learn nothing. I just love the guaranteed paycheck with no expectations. You need to leave my union alone.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

If you are an umeployed teacher, it's only because you aren't certified. School systems are begging for certified teachers.

Or you choose not to work for the wages offered.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

If you are an umeployed teacher, it's only because you aren't certified. School systems are begging for certified teachers.

Or you choose not to work for the wages offered.

AMEN! He can sure get a job in 2 seconds over here in E.Texas. In fact, it seems like I read where Texas has been shipping teachers in from other countries to teach in various counties. HUM!!

[TYLERTECHSAS]

BTW, isn't the Teachers Union a very large contributor to the DEM party? My wife teaches and this always is a sore spot for her.

I am a teacher, and I hate every second of it. Luckily, since I am part of a teachers union, I don't have to do squat because I can't get fired, and I get scheduled raises for every year I show up at school. Maybe if I got paid more, I would care, or become a good teacher. Or maybe if a brand new school were built, I would care that my students learn nothing. I just love the guaranteed paycheck with no expectations. You need to leave my union alone.

W.T.F.

I hope you're being facetious, because if not, youre a bigger problem for America then some guy wearing a turban on his head.

And the teacher's union is probably a big contributor to the Dem party, because the Dem party is less likely to cut educational funding, or outlaw the teaching of scientific facts.

[Champ967]

Settle down db ... he was obviously being sarcastic.

[sportdawg]

I am certified. I taught at Caddo Magnet High School immediately after graduating from Tech (Feb 2001) and continued to teach there until May 2002. At that time, the school board cut a lot of teaching positions, including 5 at CMHS. Then, there were no more HS positions available for me to get, in S'port, at the time and all of the Bossier spots were filled by the time I found out that I was going to be cut (the last week of school). I finally got a Middle School (6th grade) job 2 days before school started (2002-2003) and as zharkins said "I hate(d) every second of it." Then some other stuff happened and I could not start looking for a new job for 03-04 until Sept (a month after school started). I've had a couple of bites for teaching positions, but no buyers. They want people with experience, but it's impossible to get experience without a job. So I've been subbing and waiting tables ever since.

[DCDAWG]

Who cares if teachers unions contribute to Democrats? Of course they do -- they're unions. The point to the article SportDawg posted is that unions, administrators and state legislatures, groups that rarely see eye-to-eye, are united in their opposition to NCLB because it is a huge unfunded mandate. The interesting thing is that Paige would single out the unions as the only "whiners" on this.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

I am certified. I taught at Caddo Magnet High School immediately after graduating from Tech (Feb 2001) and continued to teach there until May 2002. At that time, the school board cut a lot of teaching positions, including 5 at CMHS. Then, there were no more HS positions available for me to get, in S'port, at the time and all of the Bossier spots were filled by the time I found out that I was going to be cut (the last week of school). I finally got a Middle School (6th grade) job 2 days before school started (2002-2003) and as zharkins said "I hate(d) every second of it." Then some other stuff happened and I could not start looking for a new job for 03-04 until Sept (a month after school started). I've had a couple of bites for teaching positions, but no buyers. They want people with experience, but it's impossible to get experience without a job. So I've been subbing and waiting tables ever since.

It's a short drive to East Texas.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

Who cares if teachers unions contribute to Democrats? Of course they do -- they're unions. The point to the article SportDawg posted is that unions, administrators and state legislatures, groups that rarely see eye-to-eye, are united in their opposition to NCLB because it is a huge unfunded mandate. The interesting thing is that Paige would single out the unions as the only "whiners" on this.

Well this taxpayer sees NCLB as a way to bring standards to the education system and hold people accoutable.

These same people have had their hands out to the federal govt. long before NCLB was implemented.

More money will not enable a teacher to teach a pre-K child how to go to the bathroom any better than they are equipped to this job today.

More money, more money....that's all liberals know how to say.

[DCDAWG]

[quote:c8055ebdea="DCDAWG"]Who cares if teachers unions contribute to Democrats? Of course they do -- they're unions. The point to the article SportDawg posted is that unions, administrators and state legislatures, groups that rarely see eye-to-eye, are united in their opposition to NCLB because it is a huge unfunded mandate. The interesting thing is that Paige would single out the unions as the only "whiners" on this.

Well this taxpayer sees NCLB as a way to bring standards to the education system and hold people accoutable.

These same people have had their hands out to the federal govt. long before NCLB was implemented.

More money will not enable a teacher to teach a pre-K child how to go to the bathroom any better than they are equipped to this job today.

More money, more money....that's all liberals know how to say.[/quote:c8055ebdea]

Accountability and higher standards are what everyone wanted out of NCLB. Hell, Kennedy was there for the signing. The President has simply failed to fund it. His FY2003 budget was $4.6 billion short of what was authorized by NCLB and the 2005 budget is $7 billion short. That's not chump change, even for the federal government.
Since conservatives only know how to cut taxes and spend, why don't they deficit spend on education while they're at it?