AFT-Speeches

Transcript of Pat Ford's speech given during the 2004 International Labor Leaders' Breakfast.

Transcript of Pat Ford's farewell speech given during the 2004 SEIU International Convention.

Transcript of Pat Ford's "NAACP Detroit Statewide Branch" speech given in 2005.

Shanker addressed 7 key points with the federation presidents. They include; the decline of public education, the declines in birth rates and enrollment, the declining regard for public school teachers, he says that teachers need to build a “mystique” for themselves in order to be more highly regarded. Shanker said that educational schools need to be built up and upgraded, not destroyed. He addressed the attacks on public education as well as texts that would underscore the anti-public education mood.

In this edited copy of this speech, Shanker speaks to the conference about tuition tax credits that are being proposed in the legislature. He maintains the view that tuition tax credits will ruin public education because the “wealthy” who can afford to pull their children out of public schools will, and therefore these credits will cause the demise of public education. Towards the end of the speech he addresses some union issues and the declining influence of the labor movement.