AFT-Speeches

Albert Shanker is interviewed by Edwin Newman. They discuss education finance, educational vouchers and the then teacher surplus. They cover the Shanker's upbringing, the idea of a merger with the National Education Association and the rise of public employees in the AFL-CIO.

Shanker talks about the then current administration wanting to cut education spending to trim inflation. He says that it should be increased. He touches on areas such as: Bilingual Education, Emergency School Aid, Adult Education, Higher education and Tax Reform.

Shanker speaks in front of the National Press Club to propose a few ideas that he believes will help in the long run the dire economic problems the country was facing in the mid-1970s. He proposes an early childhood education, an extra step for teacher education similar to what doctors go through and more emphasis on continuing education. After his speech he takes various questions from the audience ranging from his salary, NEA and AFT merger, merit pay and affirmative action.

Al Shanker offers advice on hiring in higher education. Responding to a desire for more minorities to be hired, Shanker warns that affirmative action must start earlier than the hiring stage. He states that currently there simply are not many minorities earning PhDs, and so opportunities for minority education must begin sooner. He cites a couple programs that he believes approach this problem successfully.

Al Shanker testifies here before a sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare on Federal Regulation of State and Local Public Employee Labor Relations. He comments on two proposed bills, S. 3294 and S. 3295, that would, as he says, “provide for Federal regulation of labor relations in the public sector at the state and local level.” Shanker, speaking for the AFT, strongly endorses S. 3294 and condemns S. 3295. S.  read more »