Analysis: Bobby Casey and the teacher's union endorsement.
Some time last year, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (more commonly known as the Pennsylvania Teacher’s Union) endorsed its preferred candidate for US senate: treasurer Bob Casey. The TEACHER’S UNION is currently the most well-funded political action committee in Pennsylvania. This endorsement does not necessarily help Casey financially; the PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER’S UNION cannot directly give money for federal races, though the NEA, its affiliated federal PAC, will doubtless give Casey all the money it can.
What does this endorsement mean for Bob Casey? It's worth examining where the PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER’S UNION stands on a few issues.
1. They oppose school vouchers with ferocity, and they have no love for charter schools. The TEACHER’S UNION has opposed legislation which would allow charter schools to hire non-certified teachers to teach in non-core classes. According to the TEACHER’S UNION, a successful small business owner cannot teach a business class, a computer programmer cannot teach programming, a well-known conductor cannot teach music without a bachelors in education. So much for practical experience.
2. When a tax-payer bill of rights was suggested for Pennsylvania, the Teacher's Union was quick to oppose it.
3. Tax-payer's choice. The thing which the TEACHER’S UNION opposes more staunchly than anything is the so-called "back-end referendum", which would require increases in property taxes at a local level to be approved by the voters. Heaven forbid!
Clearly, good government is not an issue with which the PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER’S UNION seems overly concerned. Given their strong, early support for Bob Casey, can we expect anything better from him in the US senate?
What does this endorsement mean for Bob Casey? It's worth examining where the PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER’S UNION stands on a few issues.
1. They oppose school vouchers with ferocity, and they have no love for charter schools. The TEACHER’S UNION has opposed legislation which would allow charter schools to hire non-certified teachers to teach in non-core classes. According to the TEACHER’S UNION, a successful small business owner cannot teach a business class, a computer programmer cannot teach programming, a well-known conductor cannot teach music without a bachelors in education. So much for practical experience.
2. When a tax-payer bill of rights was suggested for Pennsylvania, the Teacher's Union was quick to oppose it.
3. Tax-payer's choice. The thing which the TEACHER’S UNION opposes more staunchly than anything is the so-called "back-end referendum", which would require increases in property taxes at a local level to be approved by the voters. Heaven forbid!
Clearly, good government is not an issue with which the PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER’S UNION seems overly concerned. Given their strong, early support for Bob Casey, can we expect anything better from him in the US senate?
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