Why Most Teachers Are Leftists

Toogood Reports ^ | 12/2/2002 | Michael D. Shaw

[geedee]

This, to moi, should infuriate those of you with children. Where was I when the NEA was given this kind of power? Asleep, obviously. We have to take it back.

[elbucko]

The NEA sends more voting delegates to the Democratic National Convention than does the State of California, yet the NEA enjoys tax-exempt status, claiming not to engage in political activities of any kind.

This is disgusting. Most organizations that lean to the left, such as AARP, receive tax preference. Donations to conservative groups, to the contrary, are not deductable.

[ClearCase_guy]

People with self-esteem never talk about it. People who won't shut up about self-esteem are always lacking in self-esteem. Teachers lack self-esteem (as well they should) and they convince their students that focusing on self-esteem rather than accomplishments is the right way to go. Sickening.

[CatoRenasci]

The NEA obtained this power pretty much by asking for it and by default. The obtained it when public employees were allowed to organize. The obtained it when school boards knucked under to strike threats instead of saying "fine, you want to strike? you're all fired. And we'll staff the schools with adminstrators and volunteers until you come crawling back without the union or we can hire certifed teachers or get the volunteers certified. And by the way, no more tenure. No politics."

Public unions can be broken, Reagan did it, Thatcher did it. It takes will and the will to mobilize resources to do without the 'withheld labor' of the unionistas.

[Fiddlstix]

.....Most intellectuals believe that they are superior to all other people, who, even if they must use their minds in their work, have sold out in some manner to achieve their economic success.......

Seems to me I've met one or two of those....

[elbucko]

Where was I when the NEA was given this kind of power? Asleep, obviously.

If I recollect correctly, National Education Assn. was founded by an insurance agent whose wife happened to be a teacher. He cooked up a better insurance package than teachers were getting from their districts. Sounds good to me. But once the money and power were there, corruption by the Democrats soon followed.

[A_perfect_lady]

Oh, and finally: to be a teacher you have to go through the Education courses at your local university, where you will be fed left-wing propaganda relentlessly.

Sweden good, USA bad;
collectivist good, individualist bad;
black, hispanic, native American good; white, jewish, bad;
Islam good; Christian, Jewish, bad;
socialism good, capitalism bad;
enrivonmentalists good, industrialists bad;
emotion good, reason bad;
and on and on and on.

[headsonpikes]

"Public unions can be broken..." bump. ;^)

It's our only hope.

[RightOnline]

I had been listening to one of my sons, a sophomore in high school, tell me time and time again about his ELP (economics, law, politics) teacher spouting liberal drivel, putting down conservatism, Republicans, and President Bush. This has been going on all year to date, and finally......enough was enough. The following took place little over a week ago:

I asked my son to get me this teacher's email address. He did it.....if a bit nervously.:) I sent this clown an email wherein I explained that I was VERY aware of what he had been spouting to his class (his own, very liberal opinions) under the guise of "teaching". I challenged him to openly debate such issues with me in front of his class(es) if he was so sure of the veracity of his stances. I made it clear that it was his duty to teach; to present facts; to present multiple sides of every issue. He wasn't doing that, so I called him on it. I also laid out my qualifications for such a debate, provided my work and home phone numbers, and awaited a response.

I got one......and double quick.

The guy sent me an email response and fell all OVER himself apologizing. I mean, I thought he was going to drive to my house and beg to kiss my behind while exposing his throat.

No more problem.

Stand up to these jerks, folks, and CHALLENGE them. Like all bullies, they back down when someone stands up to them.

[Lil'freeper]

The author is naming the trees but ignoring the forest.

The motivating force behind teaching and all the problems of mass-schooling is control, which is, of course, the heart of leftism. Control drives the unions, it drives the laws, it lays seige on the homeschoolers. (Perhaps the desire for control arises out of low self-esteem or perhaps the low self-esteem develops out of a failure to do something besides learn how to control. It matters not. Any point that relies on a "self-esteem" argument is lame.)

John Taylor Gatto wrote an excellent essay ( The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher) on this topic. Even the most well-meaning teachers fall into the control trap.

[elbucko]

They obtained it when public employees were allowed to organize. They obtained it when school boards knuckled under to strike threats...

The right of public employee's to strike needs to be resolved, and soon (within 50 years). I do not believe that an employee of a government entity has a natural right to strike. The employee of a private entity has the natural right to withhold his labor, as the opposite would be slavery.

Employee's of public institutions, by virtue of the inherent security of government employment and the publics reliance on a monopoly of labor, i.e. police , fire, should not have the right to strike. They should, however, be granted immediate access to the courts for the resolution of grievances.

[lainde]

bttt for later read

[Lil'freeper]

Oooooh! Good for you! I'd love to be a fly on the wall for one of those debates.

[Lando Lincoln]

Good commentary. Another related problem is that many enter the education profession because they already feel inadequate for other professions. And, our universtities are churning out tons of these "professionals". Each of them enter the profession knowing full well the supply/demand for teachers and the prevailing compensation. Once there, they see that large segments of the population are passing them by - and a form of class envy develops. Once there is class envy, they become easy prey for the mantras of the left.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Press the moron for a debate. Don't let him off that easy!

[elbucko]

WOW! Good for you!

Some of my friends wonder why I am not complacent about certain things. If you don't stand up to the "Velvet Glove Bullies", they tun into "Iron Hands".

[em2vn]

One hundred thousand plus in a large school system? Wrong. My little city in Missouri has one high school, one junior high school and five elementary schools plus one tech school. We have one superintendant at about $130 thousand a year plus two assistant superintendants. This is in a city of slightly more than ten thousand citizens. I think large systems such as Kansas City or St. Louis are over the $250 thousand a year range.

[Lando Lincoln]

Once there is class envy, they become easy prey for the mantras of the left.

I suppose I should have noted that many, if not most, are already tilting left to begin with. Our universities virtually guarantee it.

[stainlessbanner]

Like the article says: "Since none of the cockamamy ideas would ever stand up to debate, and can only be promulgated unchallenged"

You did the right thing calling this guy on the carpet.

As an instructor myself, I have observed many kids accept what they are taught. So many times, differing opinions are ostrasized in the classroom, so kids just go with it; they don't want to be singled out by the teach.