Wither teacher unions?

Wither teacher unions?

Long among the wealthiest and most powerful interest groups in American politics, teacher unions are grappling with financial, legal, and public-relations challenges and fighting for the support of an increasingly skeptical public, writes Stephanie Simon on Politico.com. The National Education Association (NEA) has lost 230,000 members, or 7 percent, since 2009, and is projecting further declines from layoffs, non-unionized charter schools, and laws in states such as Wisconsin and Michigan that free teachers to opt out of unions. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) now represents 1.5 million workers, but because many new members are retirees or part-timers who pay lower dues, union revenue fell last year by $6 million. Both still control huge resources, but the NEA has cut spending by 12 percent, and after several years of surpluses, the AFT runs a deficit. Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson will go to trial in California next month to overturn teacher job protections such as tenure, and his courtroom work will be paired with a PR campaign that paints teacher unions as obstructionist, protecting members at all cost. Unions are also experiencing internal dissent: A recent poll found 31 percent of teachers held negative views of their unions, up from 17 percent in 2011, especially younger members. Young teachers reportedly see little reason to join unions -- or, if required to join, see no reason to be active within them. More. Related

Source:  Public Education News Blast

Published by LEAP

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.

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