Tuition

ABC News Nightline

jruss — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:21:18 -0500

Ted Koppel interviews Al Shanker and others about the issue of tuition tax credits. Shanker gives the negative perspective and representatives from parochial schools give the positive perspective. This transcript includes only excerpts from the show.

Address at Wake Forest University: “Revolution that is Overdue”

jruss — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:29:11 -0500

Al Shanker states that the last three years since the “Nation at Risk Report” was published have seen education reform legislation passed in many states. He notes that businesses threatened to leave states if education did not improve. Yet, Shanker believes that this reform has not been successful. He finds it ironic that businesses called similar measures 'over-regulation' when they applied to industry but legislators call it reform in education. Shanker notes that the public still has a negative view of public education and that vouchers and tuition tax credits are not a good solution. read more »

Address to NYSUT Representative Assembly

jruss — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:21:18 -0500

Al Shanker delivers this address to the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) organization. Shanker begins by discussing various laws affecting funding to schools. He then turns to reform efforts. He talks about the teacher shortage and ways to recruit new teachers. He mentions the need for higher salaries, smaller class sizes, and increased time away from students. He notes that these are difficult to achieve but that giving teachers independence and respect is one easy way to make the job more attractive. read more »

AFT Convention: “The State of our Union”

jruss — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:07:00 -0500

Al Shanker discusses the various political and legal events underway that might affect teachers and AFT''s lobbying actions to influence their outcomes. He briefly mentions several items like a pending court case dealing with the right of employees at parochial schools to organize and the establishment of a separate Department of Education. He highlights in more detail three of the AFT''s main political campaigns: Proposition 13 which dealt with property taxes, labor law reform, and tuition tax credits. read more »

Compass Interview

jruss — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:44:58 -0500

Excerpts from an interview with Al Shanker are reproduced here. He comments on a variety of educational issues including school vouchers, tuition tax credits, employment offices that indirectly encourage high school drop-outs, teachers' unions, the creation of a separate federal Department of Education, and privatization of education.

Statement before the Democratic Platform Committee

jruss — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:14:53 -0500

Al Shanker laments the Reagan Administration's education policies and implores the Democratic Party to refute them in its platform. Specific policies he deplores are tax exemptions on private school tuition, a voucher program, and merit pay for teachers. Shanker urges the Democrats to hold two goals for education: giving aid to people who need it and improving the quality of education. He mentions that raising teacher salaries is important in improving education quality, while noting that much of that policy will be set at the state level.

Statement to Democratic Party Temporary Platform Committee

jruss — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:05:51 -0500

Al Shanker explains what the AFT believes should become part of the Democratic Party platform. These platform ideas include provisions of federal funding to support the requirements mandated in federal education law; federal effort to keep college and university tuition costs down; focus on the development of early childhood education programs; expansion of the National Labor Relations Act to cover public sector employees; economic recovery measures; and several other issues.