You’ve really got to marvel at just how far New York’s teachers unions will go to block meaningful school reform.
Their latest effort: yet another new front group meant to distort debate and gin up opposition to any measure that would subject union members to more accountability.
The new group’s name: New Yorkers for Great Public Schools.
“Great schools” for the adults running them, that is — with good pay and no serious consequences for failure.
For the kids? Not so much.
Most amazing: NYGPS’ novel, if bizarre, tack. It’s trying to capitalize on New York’s pro-Obama, anti-Romney, anti-capitalist tilt — by likening school reforms to the corporate decisions of Mitt Romney’s former company, Bain Capital.
Actually, “bizarre” doesn’t do it justice.
“Don’t Let Our Schools Be Bought and Sold,” screams the headline on its Web site.
NYGPS is zeroing in on one reform group in particular, StudentsFirstNY — hoping to paint it as a sinister tool of Romney and the evil Republicans.
Never mind that most (nine of 14) StudentsFirstNY board members are enrolled Democrats — and all its staff members are. (Some even worked for the Obama and Clinton administrations. Evil Republicans, indeed!)
“SFNY Board Members and funders are contributing over $2 million to Mitt Romney and Super PACs working to defeat President Obama,” claims the teachers- union front.
Why attack StudentsFirst as an Obama foe? Because it urges reforms (charter schools, testing, teacher evaluations) seen as a threat to the unions’ members.
And because the unions think knee-jerk New Yorkers will dismiss the arguments of any folks opposed to Obama’s re-election (even if they’re not actually opposed to it).
But cut out all the group’s silly, alarmist, partisan rhetoric and here’s what you’re left with: a far-left rant that schools shouldn’t be subject to the kind of accountability common in the private sector.
The unionists rail against “market-driven restructuring” and “actions that will treat public schools the way Romney’s Bain Capital treated companies.”
It’s clever rhetoric, but translates thusly: The public-education cartel must be held harmless from accountability.
No matter how rotten the schools.
No matter how incompetent or ineffective the teachers.
Even sex perverts must be protected.
Unions are what they are: Their members come first.
But that means kids come second — or, all too often, last.
That’s today’s lesson.