AFT-Speeches

Shanker speaks to the subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education. Shanker is in opposition to tax credits and states that they would cause irreparable harm to the system of free public education and cause separations in society.

The first seven pages are questions and answers for Shanker. The speech begins on page 8 which Shanker talks about the status of AFT, NEA and AFL-CIO. He talks about the state of unions as a whole.

Shanker speaks to the American Association of School Administrators . He states that the 1980’s will be the worst economic times the country has seen, and that this economy will dictate whether public education succeeds or fails. He also touches on how educators and administrators need to be respected. He speaks about how teachers need to organize on the political front and improve the image of public education in order to gain respect.

Al Shanker is interviewed along with Paul Salmon, head of the American Association of School Administrators, and Virginia Koehler, from Parents United for Full Funding, a parent group in Washington, D.C. The topic is merit pay for teachers. Koehler is in favor of tying teacher evaluations to merit pay, and is pushing for a measure to enact this. Shanker discusses why he thinks merit pay won't work, arguing that what teachers really need to improve the quality of education is greater support. Salmon agrees with Shanker for the most part, but sees some benefits to merit pay.