The Michigan Education Association’s October magazine notes a large percentage of teachers nationwide that consider themselves “conservative.”
It stated that a 2005-06 National Education Association survey found 45 percent of teachers under 30 classified themselves as conservative and 63 percent of teachers age 40 to 49 classified themselves as conservative. The MEA represents more than 157,000 teachers, faculty and education support staff.
Yet, in the same magazine, the MEA released its recommendations for political candidates and recommended 111 Democrats in 114 races. The only three GOP candidates to receive a recommendation were:
- State Sen. Roger Kahn of Saginaw, who is running for re-election
- State House candidate Mike Callton of Nashville
- State House candidate Peter MacGregor of Rockford
The overwhelmingly Democratic recommendations come at time when NEA president Dennis Van Roekel is preaching a message of non-partisanship.
Writing recently in the Washington D.C. newspaper “The Hill,” Van Roekel said: “Fundamental and transformative changes in education can only succeed if educators, policymakers and communities work together to meet the enormous challenges we face, including the fact that one out of five children in this country now lives in poverty. Transforming public schools is not and should not be a partisan issue.”
MEA President Iris Salters said local committees do the endorsements in each of the districts.
“What they try to do is identify the person that best will support public education and school employees,” Salters said. “We try not to make a judgment on any group. We judge based on the individual.”
State House Representative Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, who the MEA has not endorsed, said it was “clear the MEA is very partisan.”
“Most Democrats are the only ones who have proved themselves to not mind locking kids in failing schools as long as adults get pay raises and Cadillac benefits,” McMillin wrote in an e-mail. “Very few Republicans can tolerate these bad priorities and turn their backs on kids...and those that do, would likely not survive a primary.”
The original version of this story was posted online on Oct. 18, 2010.
Please see also Teacher Union Doubles Republican Count on Recommendation List.
Tight security locked out dozens of anti-right-to-work protesters from the State Capitol as Governor Snyder was delivering his "State of the State" address. Protesters tried to disrupt the speech by banging and chanting outside the building.
Most Popular
FROM MICHIGAN HOME HELP PROGRAM PROVIDERS — OFTEN FAMILY MEMBERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERED THE STATE TO STOP TAKING MONEY ON MAY 25, 2012
opinion May 25, 2012
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) "organized” Michigan's self-employed Home Help Program providers for the purpose of skimming dues from their ailing and disabled clients' Medicaid subsidy checks. The majority of these providers are relatives or friends taking care of loved ones. It’s been estimated that less than 25 percent of the providers are hired in an employment setting.
The first counter tallies SEIU dues skimmed since the union and state officials first launched this scheme in late 2006. The second shows the amount skimmed since June 9, 2011, when the Michigan House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to ban this and all similar “stealth unionization” efforts. The third counter shows the dues skimmed since the Governor signed the bill into law on April 10, 2012. The fourth counter shows the amount skimmed since May 25, 2012, when the Attorney General opinion was announced.
For more information, visit:
