Teachers in Politics The NEA: A Political Giant The AFT: Number Two Teacher Power: Case Studies The NEA vs. the AFT: Is There a Difference? The Challenge of School Reform Prospects for the Future
MAURICE R. BERUBE is Associate Professor of Urban Education at Old Dominion University.
?Berube has written an interesting comparison/contrast of the
National Education Association and the American Federation of
Teachers from the 1960s to the present. The chapters explore unions
as political action committees. Berube emphasizes them as the" . .
. most powerful political constituency in education . . . they have
become the chief representatives of education in American
politics." Other chapters cover a brief history of the unions and
their positions on several current issues, including the school
reform movement. The final chapter urges the unions to consider
merging to better fulfill their role as the advocate for education.
The author's balanced presentation of the unions' philosophy begins
with the bread-and-butter issues and progresses to teachers
becoming professionals. Berube uses case studies relating to how
the unions can affect, on national and local levels, the election
of individuals. . . the book will be of value to first-year
graduate students. . .?-Choice
?Teacher Politics: The Influence of Unions posits that teacher
unions have become the most powerful political constituency in
education.' That may not seem like a startling position, but as the
author documents, the rise of teacher politics has indeed been, in
the words of the journal, Phi Delta Kappan, the most astonishing
story of our time.' In a climate of shifting alliances between
parents, students, legislatures, and the federal government,
teacher unions have become the chief representatives of education
in American education. The author describes in economical, almost
journalistic prose, the rise of teacher politics and the agendas of
the NEA and AFT, which as he points out, have almost reversed
themselves politically over the years. Be warned that the book is
no unqualified paean to teacher unions, either: the author squarely
confronts two problems; first, that the unions have been reactive
to school reform (witness how the reforms of the 80s seem to catch
organizations napping, and their responses were characteristically
dilatory); second, the very fact that there are two major unions
competing for members and influence has done education not much
more good than the proliferation of Popes during the Great Schism.
What the author sensibly suggests is that the two merge. As an
overview of where we've been and where we should consider going
Teacher Politics is an engaging summary of shop-talk issues for
teachers.?-CURRICULUM REVIEW
"Berube has written an interesting comparison/contrast of the
National Education Association and the American Federation of
Teachers from the 1960s to the present. The chapters explore unions
as political action committees. Berube emphasizes them as the" . .
. most powerful political constituency in education . . . they have
become the chief representatives of education in American
politics." Other chapters cover a brief history of the unions and
their positions on several current issues, including the school
reform movement. The final chapter urges the unions to consider
merging to better fulfill their role as the advocate for education.
The author's balanced presentation of the unions' philosophy begins
with the bread-and-butter issues and progresses to teachers
becoming professionals. Berube uses case studies relating to how
the unions can affect, on national and local levels, the election
of individuals. . . the book will be of value to first-year
graduate students. . ."-Choice
"Teacher Politics: The Influence of Unions posits that teacher
unions have become the most powerful political constituency in
education.' That may not seem like a startling position, but as the
author documents, the rise of teacher politics has indeed been, in
the words of the journal, Phi Delta Kappan, the most astonishing
story of our time.' In a climate of shifting alliances between
parents, students, legislatures, and the federal government,
teacher unions have become the chief representatives of education
in American education. The author describes in economical, almost
journalistic prose, the rise of teacher politics and the agendas of
the NEA and AFT, which as he points out, have almost reversed
themselves politically over the years. Be warned that the book is
no unqualified paean to teacher unions, either: the author squarely
confronts two problems; first, that the unions have been reactive
to school reform (witness how the reforms of the 80s seem to catch
organizations napping, and their responses were characteristically
dilatory); second, the very fact that there are two major unions
competing for members and influence has done education not much
more good than the proliferation of Popes during the Great Schism.
What the author sensibly suggests is that the two merge. As an
overview of where we've been and where we should consider going
Teacher Politics is an engaging summary of shop-talk issues for
teachers."-CURRICULUM REVIEW
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