Secret Document: Only 4% of NEA Dues Dollars Dedicated to ‘Improve Teaching’
by Kyle OlsonIt looks like the National Education Association is not putting its money where its mouth is.
In its mission statement, the nation’s largest teachers union asserts that “we will focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to learn.”
But a secret union document reveals that the NEA’s commitment to “improv(ing) teaching and learning” works out to a paltry $7.44 per member every year. This is according to a document obtained from an internal source of the Indiana State Teachers Association, one of the NEA’s state affiliates. All dollar amounts refer to the NEA’s 2010-11 budget, and are the most recent numbers available.
- Standing strong for better teaching? Not so much…
While the majority of a teacher’s dues dollars stay with the state union, $166 is sent to the NEA every year, which is the parent union. As already stated, the NEA only spent $7.44 of that amount on efforts to improve teaching and learning.
To put that into perspective, the NEA spent four times as much ($31.05 of the $166) on “legislative and ballot initiatives” and “partnerships and public relations.” The union spent $68.69 of the $166 on administrative support, governance, legal support, and leadership development and constituency support.
That explains why the NEA could afford to pay its top three leaders more than $1 million in salary in 2009, the most recent year those figures were available.
The NEA is clearly more concerned about taking care of its leadership team than it is about improving student learning.
The reason the NEA gives anything at all toward improving teaching and learning practices is so the union can claim to care about students. That piddly amount is only meant to give the union a thin veneer of respectability.
We’ve got a lot of great public school teachers. But it’s a shame that they are being represented by such a self-serving, hyperpartisan group of activists.
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68 Comments
I'm surprised they spent that much.
I am sure, as Rush Limbaugh points out, all these leftist unions and such are simply money laundering agencies for the democrat party.
Union dues, NEA grants (both NEAs) and such are used to support the pansy left candidates and then the pansy left gives the money back in grants etc. Money laundering at its best, Chicago style.
I'm sure if the kids voted, the Union would direct more money to them.
you & me both.
So much for liberals caring about education.
And thus we see the complete lie behind the repeated Lefty claims to be doing it "for the children."
END "public" "education". Open it up to competition and the price will plummet while the quality soars…
"Public" "education" is little more than a tool of the Left to destroy vulnerable minds and confiscate your wealth…
No "vouchers", no "public" support at all… Return the money to the People and we will have plenty to spend. Let those who value education find a way to pay for it. Cut my taxes by thousands of dollars a year and I will gladly donate to a PRIVATE educational charity.
If you doubt the generosity of your fellow citizens you are one of the cheapskates – and probably a Leftist/"Liberal"…
Sounds like a fraudulent mission statement.
To the NEA it's not about education or the kids and it never has been. It's about power and greed, it always has been. They pay off the Democrats to buy favorable legislation that allows them to keep their iron fist choking the life out of education. It's no wonder the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world and school vouchers and charter schools are so popular.
A mission statement rewoven, and lipstick from the communist manifesto….
public education = government indoctrination. The NEA is just another leftist tool to keep it that way.
As Albert Shanker once said, "When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children."
A Union Lying about something?
No say it's not so.
At least that was honest.
From the union drones to the union bosses to the DNC coffers and the DNC returns the favor by fighting against School Vouchers!
http://theantiliberalzone.blogspot.com/
THE ANTI LIBERAL ZONE
"STANDING PROUD AGAINST THE REGIME!"
Dear unionized teacher-
You cower in the corner behind your your unions, and don't have the guts to stand up for the kids. I am ashamed of the people I once thought hung the moon and stars. How could you do this to our children? Shame on you. It's all about the $, isn't it? Fewer days, fewer subjects- explain how our rankings in the world will go up? Unless, the dumbing down of our Nation is part of the"stealth socialist jihad" , hmmm? You are truly useful idiots.
HOMESCHOOL!
I guess they'll have to up the budget on “partnerships and public relations" after this story.
I agree that the teachers themselves COULD change the thrust of the NEA IF they wanted to. Teachers everywhere must be (should be) embarrassed by this association. They should start to improve the NEA themselves, or we will do it for them – the hard way.
Teachers need to accept personal responsibility for this sleazy organization. The NEA is making ALL of them look bad, especially in light of the continued FAILURE of our public school system.
If 1% were the over/under, I would still take the under. I would like to look at the real "books", assuming they exist.
El Rushbo is correct 99.6% of the time. I like whoever the Marxists hate.. and they all hate Rush. He is the best.
Anyone need any more justification for banning all public sector unions? It is time to be pro-active on the 10th Amendment, bring education back to the States and eliminate the Dept of Education and all of the other alphabet agencies that have overreached their charter. The Republican controlled house has the purse strings and could cut off all funding NOW. All we hear from them …crickets.
Aren't there Corruption Task Forces that indict charities for giving more than that?
More like if the kids paid dues or were in a position to negotiate salary with them.
Union 'goons' nothing more than the 'muscle' and the 'cash cow' of the Democratzi 'loons'!
If you still belong to one, why?
~~~
BANISH THE UNION ‘GOONS’ – BOTH PUBLIC & PRIVATE
IS YOUR STATE “RIGHT TO WORK”? – http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm
+++++
MICHIGAN SEIU STEALING MEDICAID PAYMENTS FOR UNION DUES!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4g9ILNUr_8&fe...
A TESTIMONIAL OF A FORMER UNION ‘GOON’ –
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22union.html...
I'm surprised it's that much! It all goes into the pockets of union leader thugs and left-wing politicians.
"Power-lust requires guinea pigs, to develop the techniques of inculcating obedience — and cannon
fodder that will obey the orders. College students fill both roles. Psyco-epistemological flattery is the
most potent technique to use on a person with a damaged brain. The Progressive nursery's graduate's
last link to rationality — the feeling that there is something wrong with him — is cut off in college. There is
nothing wrong with him, he is told, his is the healthy, natural state, he is merely unable to function in a
"System" that ignores human nature, he is normal, the "System" is abnormal."
Imagine if we could put an end to all the damaged brains, that begin with children being put in animal-
like packs called ''child day-care" , as if they were hyenas.
.
"it's for the children" HAhahahahahahahahahahahaha…yeah right!
Wouldn't that be grounds to yank its non-profit status?
Yea, they care a lot. They care for every last dollar they steal.
After all it is for the children, it's for the students own good they take every last dime(they can get away with) from their education.
The Motto should be " Doing it to the Students , Skools and AmeriKa "
You know the passage I am referring to, where the observation is made that normal children want more to do with older kids and adults than they do with their peers? And that that is the "system" that "day-care" (not all) promotes – peer socialization – who will be King (or queen) of the know-nothings? You and I earned "self-esteem" by learning from adults when we were kiddies… Whatever, you know what I mean… need that steak now…
;-p'''
Seriously, what in the F*** is going ON ?!?!?
Every news story today is about these people just STEALING from America at great detriment to the country, and as we ALL KNOW, there will be NO REPERCUSSIONS! Since when did we become a lawless nation that allows this sort of stuff to happen without outrage, without punishment?
Honestly, if I was a GOP in the COngress, this would be ABSOLUTE justification to shut THIS DOWN! They can't claim it will hurt education since nothing is going to that purpse.
Kyle, ……Thank you for the article.
But,…….this is a DUH!
Folks, we have known about this for years. For those that were paying attention, we knew about it when the Peanut Dipshiite started the whole abortion. Reagan attempted to rid ourselves of this POS and O'Neill and the kool aide drinkers back-stabbed this nation with tax increases instead. We have been asleep too long. We let this crap slide. We didn't demand accountability.
We let the proglodytes get us to this point.
BUSH 1, Clinton, BUSH 2, now….stupidity on steroids and crack.
Look to Europe, you proglodyte morons….that is your future.
Only, it will be which state bails out which other state.
Wait, you mean to say a trade union has no interest in the employer's customers???? Shocker.
The Department of
IndoctrinaEdu (yeah, right) cation is what hurts education.Argue me this, you troll ba$tards…………
"It's for the children…."
You can't, because it is not.
Yeah, exactly!
The ''day-care" pack strips the ability to reason from children.
Rand said, " Reason is the most selfish human faculty: it has to be used in and by a man's
own mind, and its product — truth — makes him inflexible, intransigent, impervious to the power
of any pack or any ruler. Deprived of the ability to reason, man becomes a docile, pliant, impo-
tent chunk of clay, to be shaped into any subhuman form and used for any purpose by anyone
who wants to bother.
Submission to authority is what the US educational system has been working toward for near
one hundred years, with the public schools and pre-K daycare system. In order to have this
work on a massive scale the U.S. female had to be convinced to want material possessions
beyond her families means so that she would leave the home for the workplace, willingly
giving her children to others to nurture. Frikken diabolical!!
Happy Trails!
; )
Only if they vote democrat.
Yup, you knew which part I was talkin' 'bout… Take away real structure and let the concept of tribalism and "gang rule" make an early impression and their lil' minds are bruised… Do nothing to rescue that mind and it is in most cases irreparably damaged. Most have it deeply manifested by the time they are in HS and then find a pecking order within their own clique, and a pecking order among cliques… Never appealed to me…
Heh! You missed the other half of the "feminism" sword: make taxes so punishing that in order to afford all of the material things a woman HAD to work. When C,C & G were all enrolled in Montessori it consumed all of the wife's income and more to pay for that and their income taxes… Not a "sacrifice" though – it is a matter of ordering what one values… In all though, I think it is great that a woman CAN choose to work – look at our inventor friend… Steak was awesome – deets to follow…
Ah-ha! I found that passage you were referring to earlier.
" A small child is mildly curious about, but not greatly interested in other children of his
own age. In daily association, they merely bewilder him. He is not seeking equals, but cog-
nitive superiors, people who know. Observe that young children prefer the company of older
children or of adults, that they hero-worship and try to emulate an older brother or sister. A
child needs to reach a certain development, a sense of his own identity, before he can enjoy
the company of his "peers." But he is thrown into their midst and told to adjust."
I think we call this "sink or swim"!
;-P
Confirms what many of us long suspected. Come on regressive deniers, start paddling up that river in Egypt.
This was exactly my thought.
I was like 4%? That's incredibly high for a Statist organization!
Reminds me of an old Czechoslovak block lite sign from the communist era:
PEOPLES DEMOCRACY
but with the burnt out letters at night:
PEP LES DEMO CRAC
According to NEA financial statement for 2009-2010
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel earned in $397,721
Vice President Lily Eskelsen earned $326,563
Secretary/Treasurer Rebecca Pringle made $340,845.
NEA had 32 union other employees who made more than $200,000.
I agree. Anyone who thinks the NEA cares about their students is badly mistaken.
Ding ding ding ding!!! We have a WINNER!!! That is the EXACT passage I meant, and any honest reader will recognize the truth that it contains. I didn't give a CRAP what anyone my age thought until I was able to think for myself – and I still only rarely give a crap, as I find most people merely regurgitate what they have heard…
– Autobiography of Mark Twain
My first thought as well. We all know their money is spent on salary and perks of union leaders as well as purchasing political influence.
In our family, we call it "warehousing" children. Why have them if you are going to send them to a warehouse where they'll be raised as rats, or shelved?
"Warehousing" is nicely descriptive in a way, but seems almost too benign in the sense
that it in no way describes the damage that is done to those precious little minds. I agree,
and will go one step farther than you Red, DON't have them if you need those "things" so
badly that you cannot stay at home to raise them. If your taxes are too high, MOVE to an-
other location where taxes are lower. If everyone did that some of these states and locales
with exorbitant taxes would necessarily have to change their ways.
.
Oh…my…gosh…. now this entire site is branded illegitimate because an authentic representative of the Tea Party and conservatives in general has let the cat out of the bag…. and just when this whole project was gaining momentum….pity [/sarcasm]
Yep. We made adjustments and sacrifices. I am now going back to work, but around the familial requirements. In our world, everyone on the husband's side dies by age 54. It skipped his 58 year old sister, so we're figuring it can skip him as well. Although it has been many generations since it skipped someone. Life is too damned short to spend a day in a warehouse. To me, warehousing is the cruelest thing you can do to a human. We are meant to expand our experiences. I know I have a much higher than average IQ, but it has been my experience that people love learning until they get damaged–when that damage occurs and if they get past it is what makes the difference. Too many little humans are trashed by the getting run through the sorting chute at too early an age.
I disagree. Looking back at my time in HS (~9 years now), most of the student body were complete and utter mush-heads, who would have likely backed what it is now.
Heck, there was a strike one or two times, and a lot of the students helped cheered the teachers on, thinking they were being awesome. Another funny point, most of those students tended to screw around in class and had the IQ of a wet paper bag.
And your first paragraph is why I will never, ever look at high school and middle school with fond memories.
Vouchers were the only reason DC kids actually did well. No surprise, Obama got rid of it asap when he become president.
Only if those kids aren't mush-heads who get caught up in the pathos of their teachers. And from what I remember, it's a low number.
As a public school teacher, the first question I asked when I was hired this year was "Do I have to join the union?" Thank God, the answer in Colorado was No. So, I keep my money and my self-respect. Good thing Colorado is right to work. Too bad other states aren't.
Proof the top union people are in it for them and not the children. There are tons of dedicated teachers that DO put the kids 1st but union management is ALL about them and what they can extort from everyone else, including the teachers. unions are always run by the elites who run family empires. When CAT had the big fight with the unions I was in Peoria. the unions threw nails in driveways of scabs that hurt the children whos only sin was driving on their own driveay. The goons even threw these special nails on running paths and people (not even CAT workers) stepped on them causing a ER room visit. In the mid 1970s, 1975-76 I think the union pressmen walked out on strike and put 3-4 supervisors in hospital because of beatings and destroyed MILLIONS of damage on presses. The CEO had to helicopter scabs into the building to avoid violence to get their paper out.
Do you know the man that said the quote?
Probably not.
Read _Tough Liberal_ for more.
It seems like he didn't follow his own advice.
How could we do what to your children?
The U.S. has always been bad at international tests.
The first was given in the 1960s and the U.S. finished 7th out of 8th: http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/0207_educat...
I worry you are just an idiot and not useful.
What stealing?
Huh?
This is union money from union dues.
So an organization with over a million members has salaries well below corporations! Got it.
Considering teachers can make over $100,000 I am not sure what people are surprised at.
Superintendents and Police Commissioners make well over $150,000 and do not lead organizations nearly this large.
Please people pick up a paper.
If anything the salaries are low to anything comparable in private.
Too bad CO gets outperformed by the collective bargaining states. Just sayin'.
How is this proof of that?
Unclear.
If the union, not union members, were behind that it would be criminal (obviously it is criminal for individuals).
But unless that can be proven, all you're telling me is that some people acted bad.
Because a few Americans act badly doesn't mean America or all Americans are bad.
By states like what – Michigan – Illinois – California??? The district I teach in is probably one of the highest performing in the country and my daughter attends the 29th best public high school in the country according to Newsweek and Money Magazine. Good teachers don't need a union to protect them; only bad teachers need that.
So, by your own information…..7th out of 8 is still better than 25th in math and science-in 40 years our standing has gone from bad to worse, because? Solutions? Certainly not more of the same…..
Amen.
Return the money to the People and we will have plenty to spend. Let those who value education find a way to pay for it. Cut my taxes by thousands of dollars a year and I will gladly donate to a PRIVATE educational charity. beth jones
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