The national teachers union, the NEA, is a powerful political organization. However, very little of its political time is used in influencing the teaching of children. The NEA wants the U.S. to nationalize health care, start a nuclear freeze, adopt national energy policies and pass more gun-control laws. However, the NEA does not want schools privatized or teachers tested.
The NEA is also most exclusively attuned to the Democratic platform. In '96, 99 percent of its PAC money went to Democrats. It is interesting to note that, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis, 40 percent of its membership oppose the union's political agenda. Why are they still members of the union?According to Eagle Forum's Education Reporter, 22 percent of NEA members send their kids to private school. Why would just over one in every five members of the NEA send their kids to private school if they are working for the betterment of public school education? Don't they believe in what they are doing?
The NEA has also opposed market reforms without exception. Another resolution wants to force home school parents to obey state and federal school regulations. How about their own members in the UEA who choose to ignore Utah's privacy act in their education of our children? This must be OK because they are public school teachers.
We should all cringe at our federal government's current attempt to control the schools and with them the minds and wills of our children. Any local educator or school board member abdicating local control to the federal government is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
In order to break the tenacious grasp of the NEA monster, the schools must be returned to the control of the parents, whose children these are.
Sam Sellers
Santaquin