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Archive for the tag “National Education Association”

21 Apr 2011
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EDUCATION TEXAS- A LOCAL ADVANTAGE?

For those who have children or grand children in K-12 schools, let me encourage you to find out if your if this described advantage exist where you live. It is obvious to me that the Texas Legislature uses politics to provide educational variables to pacify themselves and the appointed and elected Boards to favor certain school districts. Nationally the US Department of Education uses 90% of their billions to provide social justice for the minorities and aliens. Just read the itemized 92 page budget if you doubt my words. If the states and the federal governments would admit that a local program like the one described below would find the right path for aligning children’s capability with a mixture of academics and vocational programs necessary to prepare them for their place in society. We may all be created equally but we all do not fit into society equally. It is time for the people to stop this waste of money and demand change. CB

Article

“First let me apologize to Dr. Lana Comeaux, whose name I misspelled in the last article. I have lived in Sabine county, very close to Louisiana, for nearly 20 years. When Dr. Pearson suggested I meet Ms. Como, my age drove me to associate the name to Perry when I took notes.”

I had the pleasure to visit with Dr. Comeaux on Monday April 11th at the Sabine Area Career Center in Pineland, Texas. I had no conception of what a great advantage was available to the citizens of Sabine and San Augustine counties.

The center has several specialized classrooms to conduct classes and a welding facility with modern equipment and seven individually vented weld stations. The computer classroom is well equipped and is available for students use in searching the internet for assignments. Classrooms are available to permit students to participate and interact by video with some specialty classes being conducted at Angelina College in Lufkin.

The Career Center also has a large meeting room that is available for community meetings and special events. Currently this room is utilized for programs like Dance, Taekwondo, Photography, Flower Arranging and Computer classes. Another program available is support meetings for parents with autistic children.

In addition to the Angelina campus, some of the classes are conducted at Hemphill ISD and Jasper ISD where science labs or other specialty facilities exist. I have another meeting scheduled this April 21st with Dr. Pearson and Dr. Comeaux to view the Hemphill laboratories and other specialized facilities.

Some of the two year college credit courses are; English, World History, US History, Texas History, Sociology, Algebra, Chemistry, Biology etc. The Career Center also provides Community Service Programs that include; Phlebotomy, Certified Nurse Asst., Medical Asst., GED Preparation, and Welding. Future planning includes courses for EMT, LVN, Police and Fire careers, Automotive and A/C & Repair.

All of the programs are available to students at Hemphill, West Sabine, Brookland, Broadus and San Augustine school districts.

Citizens of the area are fortunate to have this facility. It does require the five school districts to work closely with Dr. Comeaux. This includes a student’s needs assessment and scheduling classes to permit the students to be able to take the Angelina programs. Each of the five school districts provide either the superintendent or a principal to serve on the on the Board of Directors.

The program is totally funded by grants, donations and private foundations. Currently the Beaumont and TLL Foundations provide significant funding for the Center. No state or local taxes are appropriated for the center. This is an unusual advantage for both the students and parents of Sabine and San Augustine counties.

A student can take up to twenty classes which can result in roughly 60 credit hours if they take full advantage of the program. Students are eligible after their sophomore year to start in that summer and can take 2 courses each semester. There are two summer sessions in addition to the regular fall and spring school semesters. This means that if a student is academically driven, they can start their college or university education as a junior. For those families with funding limitations, a high school student can obtain an Associate’s Degree in the summer after they graduate from high school.

Every parent should be aware of this advantage. The economic distress and the mystery of what the politicians in Austin and Washington D.C. will dream up next, demands that we prepare today’s students who will have to pay for the debacle.

Clyde Brewer

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23 Mar 2011
2 Comments

DO YOU SEE A UNION/DEMOCRAT CONNECTION?

 If you do not oppose this legalized fraud, you are a progressive socialist. Move to Europe or Scandinavia and be happy with people like you everywhere. We can find a Mexican who will work to replace you and save a lot of money. By the way take your union with you, things are changing here and they can always use your money over there.    C Brewer

Leading Union Political Campaign Contributors
1990-2010*
  Democrats Republicans  
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees $40,281,900 $547,700  
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 29,705,600 679,000  
National Education Association 27,679,300 2,005,200  
Service Employees International Union 26,368,470 98,700  
Communication Workers of America 26,305,500 125,300  
Service Employees International Union 26,252,000 1,086,200  
Laborers Union 25,734,000 2,138,000  
American Federation of Teachers 25,682,800 200,000  
United Auto Workers 25,082,200 182,700  
Teamsters Union 24,926,400 1,822,000  
Carpenters and Joiners Union 24,094,100 2,658,000  
Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union 23,875,600 226,300  
United Food and Commercial Workers Union 23,182,000 334,200  
AFL-CIO 17,124,300 713,500  
Sheet Metal Workers Union 16,347,200 342,800  
Plumbers and Pipefitters Union 14,790,000 818,500  
Operating Engineers Union 13,840,000 2,309,500  
Airline Pilots Association 12,806,600 2,398,300  
International Association of Firefighters 12,421,700 2,685,400  
United Transportation Workers 11,807,000 1,459,300  
Ironworkers Union 11,638,900 936,000  
American Postal Workers Union 11,633,100 544,300  
National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association 8,135,400 2,294,600  
Seafarers International Union 6,726,800 1,281,300  
*Source: Center for Responsive Politics, Washington, D.C.

 

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10 Mar 2011

EDUCATION-PUBLIC UNIONS=DISASTER

 

In some states we are finally watching public unions being challenged by new republican majorities. These unions are one of the primary reasons, America is going bankrupt. Unions have used massive spending to get democrat majorities elected for too many years. After the elections the democrats paid the unions back with the power to force union wages and collective bargaining for government union employees. Last November the people were tired of this tax payer abuse and said enough is enough.

Republican efforts, in some states, will create positive change. Someone has to correct the unfair balance that exists with the salaries, benefits and pensions of public employees versus the private sector. Hopefully this has awakened all Americans. I pray that we see all public unions disbanded and that private sector unions will see a massive wave of resignations of its duped members. I have reviewed the 18 largest American unions for net worth, salaries and benefits for the officers. Union members would throw up if they see the facts. I will post this later. Creating right-to-work laws in every state would save enough to retire the national debt a lot faster.

Now let me show you a reverse situation in my home state, Texas. Texas has been under republican majority for several years. We have no state income tax and Texas is a right-to-work state. We now have a republican super majority in the legislature that prevents democrats fleeing to shut down the legislative process. For those who do not know, Texas democrats invented the use of a “labor strike” by legislators when they fled to Oklahoma and New Mexico ten years ago.

As I related in the posting yesterday, our republican controlled Texas legislature will apparently use major cuts in education to meet their budget projections. This is being done without evaluating performance-costs relationships.

 I just learned that the elementary school my youngest grand-daughter attends in Humble, Texas will lose 13 teachers next year. That’s a 20%+ cut being enacted by the Texas legislature. Remember my term “Learning Curve of Survival” posted yesterday.

It is no wonder that Texas teachers are gathering together statewide to construct a battle plan. Our Texas legislator’s action will obviously increase the population of the teacher unions. I am certain that the National Education Association, NEA, net worth of $216,000,000.00 will have a significant increase. When the voters of Texas digest this debacle, you can bet the republican super majority will disappear in 2012. This is a self inflicted wound.

So we have some states actually addressing the reasons they face financial failure and fixing the cause, union abuse. In Texas we have the direct opposite because the lazy legislature will not take the time to find the real causes of budget negatives and there are no unions to blame. If they really desired to discover why Texas has budget problems, they would look in a mirror and resign. Republicans have not or never will learn how to maintain the majority status from the Court house to the White house. America has been without true leadership for over two decades.

Tomorrow you will find ways that everyone can help our least the ones who want to.

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09 Mar 2011

WISCONSIN-HAS MADE ALL TEACHERS FUTURE ENDANGERED

 

Every teacher in America can thank the Milwaukee school district greed for driving the nail in the coffin for most teachers nationwide. The slaughter of good teachers is well underway here in Texas. Wisconsin should not get all of the credit as California, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, New York, Illinois and others were just as guilty of sticking it to the taxpayer. Unfortunately Milwaukee greed in particular, got in the crosshairs between a new Governor and democratic legislature that captured the headlines and put a well deserved bulls-eye on the teachers and the unions. What has happened in Wisconsin will reshape the future for every school district in America. Fortunately many do actually deserve to be penalized; sadly the ones who have been managed professionally will suffer more.

I like to refer to this as the “Learning Curve Law of Survival”. This law was invented by some government bureaucrat a long time ago. In 1954 I entered management at the ripe old age of 24. To survive working on government contracts I quickly learned that when the government has to reduce costs it never included common sense. The slashing will be an across the board percentage removed from your budget. If you managed your function frugally, you will suffer more than the ones who padded the books. What you make sure of before the next budget axe falls is to prostitute yourself with some cushion. Our U.S. government invented this “Law” and they practice it at every level with precise perfection.

When the smoke clears after the ensuing blood bath to end the union’s destruction of education, the ones who have unionized will suffer as they should. Unfortunately the ones who have been honest will suffer beyond reason.

Let me share some “Facts” from the Milwaukee schools. The average public school employee receives 74.2 cents in benefits for each $1 of their base pay. This is three times the benefits of the average private sector worker. The same ratio probably exists for most teachers in states that have right-to-work systems.

In Wisconsin educators also participate in Social Security. This is not true in all states. In Wisconsin there is also a state pension plan that requires 6.8% of wages being provided by the employer and 6.2% by the employee. Except in Milwaukee the public pays the teachers share also. Milwaukee teachers also enjoy another supplemental pension which the district pays 4.2% of their salaries and the teacher pays zilch. The district also pays 100% of the costs for medical and vision benefits and over 50% of cost for dental insurance. If you forgot my earlier posting, the teachers union in Wisconsin owns the insurance company with near iron clad guarantee of renewal. One other “Milwaukee Perk” is the taxpayer pays 100% for retired public employees.

As I posted earlier there are 98,000 members of the National Education Association (NEA) in Wisconsin. The NEA has 3.2 million members to fund its operations. They have 31 employees that earn over $200,000.00 a year. Dennis Van Roekel, NEA president, receives $397,721in salary and benefits. Guess who gets 98% of the NEA political donations? They currently have $216,000,000.00 in assets.

Unfortunately for the teachers in Texas, the legislature is in process of a budget crisis faced in all but four states. Preliminary information is that they are going to slash education funding over 20% next year. They are not as dumb as a rock as many would believe. They know that the brouhaha in Wisconsin about giving teachers outlandish benefits will provide them with media support and excuses for letting education take the brunt of budget cuts. I am currently in the process of gathering facts for Texas budget cuts. I plan to challenge the legislative wisdom of practicing the “The Learning Curve Law of Survival” if they actually pass any across the board cuts.

The really sad situation, for the entire United States, will be that the real loser will be the children. For some reason they have been omitted from all the media and political attention.

C Brewer

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02 Mar 2011
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UNION INTEREST, KIDS OR MONEY?

 

What you are about to read are direct quotations made as part of a speech made in 2009? If you do not find this disturbing, you should be banned from voting for being mentally incompetent. As you read this try to decide who the individual might be and what background he could possibly represent. It may not surprise you but it can make you wonder why he made the speech in the first place.

Direct Quotes

“Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about our children and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA (National Education Association) and its affiliates are effective associates because we have power.”

“And we have the power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year, because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interest as education employees.”

“This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary. These are goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay.”

Wow, what a definition of what unions are expected to provide. It is hard to imagine how the private sector unions would describe “Power”.

Now I will disclose the speaker. His name is Bob Chanin which will likely not ring your bell, I never heard of him before researching the Unions. This was part of his farewell address to the NEA. Mr. Chanin was the top education lawyer for the NEA for 41 years. He stated in his message, “It’s not about kids, but about power.”   

It would be interesting to find out why the media in our country just ignore union activities. With all of the dissent happening in Wisconsin, you would expect that at least Fox News would share this nationally.

Thanks to “Eyeblast” and “Big Labor” for the facts. At least some are trying to level the playing field for the folks that pay for this legalized bribery.

Ready for more?

C Brewer

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01 Mar 2011
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TEACHER/UNION FACTS-WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN-TEACHER-UNION FACTS

When you suspect that something smells a little funny in any union activity, just follow the money. Unions preach that trusts and monopolies are a by-product of big business and must be evil and bad. It would be wonderful to get the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) to explain the facts that should be interesting to every American taxpayer. WEAC is a “union” that is affiliated with National Education Association (NEA) and their website says they represent 98,000 educators in the State of Wisconsin.

WEAC has a vested interest in fighting the proposal to strip the unions from collective bargaining rights. In 2009 WEAC collected over $25,000,000.00 from teachers. If the proposed changes are passed by the legislature, the state will no longer have to deduct the union dues from the teacher’s paychecks. Also union members will not be obligated to pay union dues.

If you dig a little deeper the primary reason WEAC is so distressed is more obvious. The proposed legislation will have a negative financial impact on the WEA trust. The WEA Trust is owned and managed by WEAC. This trust is responsible for managing teacher’s benefits and provides the insurance for each school district. These benefits are contracted with individual school districts. The pressure from the teachers, who own the trust, is so intense it is nearly impossible for the school board to buy cheaper insurance on the competitive market.

WEA has a net worth of $316,000,000.00 and a team of twelve administrators all receiving total compensation exceeding six figures per year.

Once they pressure a school district to buy their insurance, it becomes nearly impossible to refuse to renew regardless of rates. If the district tries to change, WEAC takes it to arbitration and with their political power seldom lose a case.

The WEA business practices also prohibit any competitor from reviewing prior claims which makes it impossible for a competitor to estimate accurate costs history.

Some 15 school districts have severed buying from the WEA Trust and it was reported that the savings were over six figures in the first year. But even here there was another pressure that emerged. To reduce the resistance they were forced to share the insurance savings they made with their local union officials, usually in the form of salary increases.

Now you might know why the teachers and unions are so distressed in fighting the Wisconsin Governor and the brave Representatives/Senators. These folks are trying to bring common sense changes to help the taxpayer.

It is a shame that “Teachers” have placed themselves above the children of Wisconsin. Using “Near Bribery Tactics” to fatten their own pockets is sad. More to follow tomorrow.

C Brewer

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11 Feb 2011

Education, Union Destruction

 

This is a copy of an article on Big Government.com that is more of the creative and informative work of Kyle Olson. Everyone should read all of his work.  CB

– Big Government – http://biggovernment.com –

Teachers Union Honesty Died with Albert Shanker

Posted By Kyle Olson On February 6, 2011 @ 9:57 am In Big Labor, Education | 27 Comments

Former American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker made teachers’ unions what they are today.  He was hard-nosed defender of teachers’ rights, but he also came clean about public school performance.

In the making of “Kids Aren’t Cars [1],” I unearthed a 25-year old PBS interview with Shanker. His indictment of the public education system was stunning.

“You could do things that are absolutely wrong, you can have huge dropout rates, you can have kids who are leaving without knowing how to read, write, count or anything else and what do you do next year?  Do the same as you did this year and the following year and the following year…”

And when Shanker – again, 25 years ago – rattled off achievement statistics, the host challenged him:

Shanker: When it comes to the highest levels of reading, writing, mathematics or science – that just means being able to read editorials in the New York Times…or write an essay of a few pages…or do a mathematical equation, not calculus…the number of kids who are about to graduate who are able to function at that level, depending on whether you’re talking about reading, writing, math science – 3 percent, 4 percent…

Host: Oh, come on!

Shanker: No! 5 percent. That’s it.

Does anyone honestly believe our education system – which has had billions of dollars more each year dumped into – is better now than it was in 1986?

Anyone??

Read more…

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