NEA Teacher's union HATES tax cuts (except for them)

[Gopher Broke]

Education Insider A weekly review of progress on the Quality Public Schools Agenda and other legislation that impacts our students, classrooms, and public education.

May 30, 2003

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Congress Returns from the Memorial Day Recess

IDEA "On your mark?get set?the next round is about to begin!" The Senate's IDEA reauthorization bill has been in the wings since the House bill passed on April 30. The long-awaited Senate bill may be introduced in early June.

The 'highly qualified' definition: The House bill imported from the "No Child Left Behind Act' the definition that requires all teachers to have a degree or pass a subject matter test in each academic subject they teach. This definition fails totally to recognize the multiple subject matter teaching assignments of thousands of special educators. These special education teachers who competently teach core academic subjects under a student's IEP would be declared 'unqualified.'

The Senate must "fix" this definition. NEA believes teachers licensed under state law as special educators should be deemed 'highly qualified.'

Time Sensitive Urge your Senator to oppose any provision that would simply copy for special educators the NCLB "highly qualified" definition and to support defining a special education teacher with state special education certification or licensure as "highly qualified."

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Paying to Teach -- Out-of-Pocket Costs State fiscal woes and education funding shortfalls mean more frozen supply budgets and school employees digging deeper into their pockets for classroom materials.

The current deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses allowing educators inclusively -- teachers, counselors, principals, and education support professionals -- to recoup at least some of what they spend, expires this year.

H.R. 785 [Camp (R-MI), Pryce (R-OH) and Tanner (D-TN)] would:

Make permanent the above-the-line deduction [Above-the-line deductions apply whether or not a taxpayer itemizes.]

Increase the maximum deduction from the current $250 to $400, and

Expand allowable expenses to include professional development. The 10-year benefit to educators would total $3 billion.

Time Sensitive! To move the bill forward, we need to maximize support now. Is your Representative a cosponsor? (123 to date) If not, ask your Representative to support tax relief for teachers and education support professionals by becoming a cosponsor of HR 785.

If yes, please send your thanks. ?

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Government Relations 202-822-7300 http://www.nea.org/lac 1201 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

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[EdReform]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: Growing Non-Union Teacher Associations Provide Alternatives to NEA and AFT

The Union That Killed Education ( see reply 29 )

[ladylib]

The NY State Legislature has a bill (probably not going anywhere) to raise the drop-out age to 18. They could raise it to 25, and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

New York City is a lost cause, and the new chancellor's reading and math curricula aren't going to help either. Nothing is going to straighten out NYC public schools. The union is too strong.

[redbaiter]

The House bill imported from the "No Child Left Behind Act' the definition that requires all teachers to have a degree or pass a subject matter test in each academic subject they teach.

Nice-sounding idea but beside the point and in the end a waste of effort. It shouldn't be the government that decides who is qualified to teach. It should be the parents, via school choice. That's what we should hammer away every day: choice, choice, choice. There's no place for the NEA to hide when the issue is choice.

[flim-flam]

The union is too strong.

I agree and I've come to the conclusion that compulsory unionism is a lost cause. The so-called "labor peace doctrine" is a hoax. At a minumum, a national right to work law should be passed. Better still, eliminate exclusive representation, which would leave unions as true voluntary associations.

[Gopher Broke]

Freepers....tell your teacher friends and family..there are good alternatives to the NEA Teachers Union.

These groups have lower rates, better liability insurance....WITHOUT the transfer of dues (without their permission) to the Democrat Party.

Click on the link for more information...

Christian Educators Assn.

Association of American Educators

[Sparta]

I think the only way to break the Communist teachers unions is to separate school and state. We need to privatize education in America. Make education a priviledge, not a right.

[lilylangtree]

NEA is a liberal leftist POS.

[FLAMING DEATH]

Thank you for this. I've been teaching for almost 9 years now, and I never knew about these organizations. I see teachers getting sued everyday over the most benign things that they say or do in the classroom, and have a hard time not looking over my shoulder at students...or, lately, administrators. I will check these out, as I was considering joining NEA just to get the insurance, even though I loathe and detest everything that the group stands for.

[jwh_Denver]

Warning...if you are TOO conservative in your posts, they will block your IP address...trust me on that!

FE. Mine changes every time I turn my comp on. Trust me, I'm going to have some FUN!

[gunnedah]

My wife is a school teacher and I personally do not like the NEA but she has to belong to it for the protection afforded over an attorney.
She also has to teach several courses in Elementary Education.
The NEA does not help with their salaries as one thinks but they take their dues and spend them on the Democrat Party to which we are opposed.
The average everyday American doesnt realize the way the political system works and how the legislators protect those who funnel campaign dollars to them.
There is an electric co-operative in my area and it gives political donations to the Democrats but none to other parties and I know all who are members are not Democrats.
There is a real need for election reform and term limits in this country. Politicians are nothing more than dictators and when it comes to looking out for the public their only interest is in their own a$$e$$ and their contributors.
Americas politics and governments have run amok and need reeling in.They all only know how to tax and add fees so they can spend with no accountability.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Who doesn't know that the NEA extorts moeny from teachers and brain washes millions of them to support the Democratic party, who in return gives the liberal teachers and unions kickbacks in the form of tax relief and perks while on the job? All this while the the fat cats at the top milk the tax payers for more and more money "for the kid's sake".

Did you know if a citizen volunteers to do work for the SD for free the unions will fight it , because it could be a paid job, and they view it as taking something away from someone. They don't care about the kids, they care about job security. Anyone who is a part of this sytem is wrong. Your wife needs to find an alnetnative, or start an alternative teaches group which offers insurance. I hear that from so many teachers , I have to admit it makes me mad.

Why not start a non-pfofit that offers insurance to teachers and gets charitable donations from the public. I bet you would find many who would pay to break the union stronghold.

If you aren't part of the soultion, you are part of the problem.

[ninenot]

Sobran has proposed a simple remedy:

The only citizens eligible to vote will be those who are NOT on the public's payroll.

[ninenot]

True story:

A Wisconsin company was purchased by its employees through an ESOP. The employees were (mostly) represented by a union--but the management was not, as is typical.

The represented employees wanted a raise and the Board, which included a union steward, turned it down--the whole industry was in a recession, etc., etc.

The union struck and put the Company out of business.

[Mister Baredog]

True story:

A Wisconsin company was purchased by its employees through an ESOP. The employees were (mostly) represented by a union--but the management was not, as is typical.

The represented employees wanted a raise and the Board, which included a union steward, turned it down--the whole industry was in a recession, etc., etc.

The union struck and put the Company out of business.

ROTFL

Obvious products of a poor education. I hope these unemployed ex-employees took some of their free time to go back to school and learn a little about business and how it works.

Somehow I doubt that happened, more likely they're working for the government in some way.

[EdReform]

"Your wife needs to find an alnetnative, or start an alternative teaches group which offers insurance."

The Association of American Educators is an alternative Professional Education Association she may be interested in.

The AAE offers an excellent Liability Insurance Plan. Click here for a list of AAE State Affiliates.

Please pass this information on to other teachers and students who are planning to major in education.

[doosee]

Is the NEA active in SC? I dont think they are in my area of SC.....

[ctlpdad]

regarding teachers unions, etc, ping me any time there is a debate, please.