Time For Annual Education Alliance-As-Boogeyman Story
Posted by: Jubal | 04/14/2008 2:30 PM
With the predictability of night following day, the OC Register regularly publishes a scare story about the Education Alliance, a local political organization that seeks to elect school board trustees who subscribe to a conservative, back-to-basics philosophy and are favorably disposed to choice in education.
It must be the time of year, because the Reg ran to EA scare story last Sunday, April 5, in the context of the Capistrano Unified recall campaign.
Since the Education Alliance contributed several thousand dollars to the three CUSD Recall Committee candidates iin 2006, then the recall committee's virtue is called into question.
If you read the article, the only concerns being raised are by one of the trustees targeted for recall -- and the CUSD teachers union:
While the local MSM has published these alarmist pieces on the Education Alliance for years, I don't recall ever seeing a single article devoted to Orange County's teachers unions and the influence they wield with school boards -- influence far more real and pervasive than anything EA has achieved.
There are 28 school districts in Orange County. I don't know how many have 7-member boards, but that translates into 140-160 trustees. If you totaled union contributions and the number of trustees and trustee candidates receiving them in any given year, it would dwarf anything the EA is doing. Who do you think has more influence over local school district politics?
Funny how we never read about that in the Register.
It must be the time of year, because the Reg ran to EA scare story last Sunday, April 5, in the context of the Capistrano Unified recall campaign.
Since the Education Alliance contributed several thousand dollars to the three CUSD Recall Committee candidates iin 2006, then the recall committee's virtue is called into question.
The contributions have raised concerns about the CUSD Recall Committee's intentions as it endorses and helps fund the campaigns of candidates in a June recall election that could oust two longtime trustees."Have raised concerns..." -- the trusty journalistic device of the non-specific complaint.
If you read the article, the only concerns being raised are by one of the trustees targeted for recall -- and the CUSD teachers union:
"We're concerned about any candidate with a connection to the Education Alliance," [Capistrano Unified Education Association President Vicki Soderberg] said. "The CUSD Recall Committee is connected much more closely to the Education Alliance than they are letting on."Of course the union is concerned at the prospect of competition for political influence. Teachers unions generally have the field all to themselves, which is how they like it.
While the local MSM has published these alarmist pieces on the Education Alliance for years, I don't recall ever seeing a single article devoted to Orange County's teachers unions and the influence they wield with school boards -- influence far more real and pervasive than anything EA has achieved.
There are 28 school districts in Orange County. I don't know how many have 7-member boards, but that translates into 140-160 trustees. If you totaled union contributions and the number of trustees and trustee candidates receiving them in any given year, it would dwarf anything the EA is doing. Who do you think has more influence over local school district politics?
Funny how we never read about that in the Register.
CATEGORY:
At The Trough, Politics Behind the Orange Curtain
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
Although I am not a gambling man, I would be willing to bet that 80% of those currently serving on OC school boards (including JCs) were endorsed by teacher unions.
A near monopoly - and yet the Register ignores this (very scary) political cartel. The consequences - in places like Anaheim, Santa Ana, and lately CUSD - speak forthemselves.
Jubal, you're absolutely correct. In CUSD, the local teachers union contributed $85,000 in support of two of the reform trustees elected in November 2006 -- nearly 4 times more than was contributed by the Education Alliance! Why does the Register fail to report that fact?
As a former candidate for a school board, I was interviewed by two labor unions related to the schools. I did not get their endorsement. I guess it was because I told them I thought they should not be trying to influence elections with the money they extracted from their members.