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Teacher Danny Kofke discusses the NEA’s decision to contribute $32 million to the president’s re-election campaign.
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Welcome back to follow the money the National Education Association represents 3.2 million teachers around the country.
In recent years however the NEA has become.
More about raising money and finding democratic campaigns that helping teachers teach our kids.
Take a listen to Bob chain -- -- top lawyer at its 2009 retirement speech.
It is not because we care about children.
And it is not.
Because we have a vision for the great public school for every child.
NEA and its affiliates how effective advocates.
Because we have.
How power.
Not about -- children about the power.
It was about to children and it is about the children and this just despicable slip underlies the real agenda of the NEA raise money.
Create power use that power to elect people -- -- secure your tenure your 185.
Worked eight years and your last in first out approach to teaching our kids.
And just days ago.
After a speech on VP Joseph Biden NEA announced a ten dollar assessment the teachers -- -- for watt the kids -- Chalk it erases the top ten bucks from all 3.2 million teachers is gonna go into a re elect Obama and friends find.
Let's -- simple math here ten bucks times 3.2 million equals 32 million dollars and I can thank the Jesuits for that.
Oh boy -- is right for the NBA it wasn't and isn't about the children.
-- now is Danny cocky special education teacher author of the book how to survive and perhaps thrive on a teacher's salary.
They did he tell me about -- the NEA what's your view of the -- and by the -- what about this ten dollar feeding you get charged -- I guess -- some Democrats.
While I'm not a member of the union so I don't get docked at ten dollars and I didn't even hear that's -- that to me is is crazy I don't know -- you have to tell me if it's that they have to pay it upfront because.
That that isn't right because personally I'm more of a conservative.
So I'd lean more towards outside in the NE -- no no actually leans more towards the liberal side so I would assume like you just said that ten dollars would go towards President Obama.
And to me about a member but yet I vote conservative than my money would automatically go towards the candidate that I did support that to me is not right.
Right it's in it is it's a fee tacked on that 3.2 million teachers who are members of the of the -- and -- and they're gonna use it the way they see fit most likely.
For an Obama reelection campaign and other Democrats in the state level but that's -- EM EA it's become more about a political.
Unit rather than that anything to help hope you'll teach our kids.
Correct I was and I -- when I was in Florida I was the member of our union down there.
This thing is it got they do is got to be it at forty dollars a month that's what I end of that -- towards the end in right now I have two children at home my wife is they -- -- so.
It was really a lot of money especially trying to live on my teacher's salary and then I started seeing some of the things that they were doing protecting bad teachers.
Like you mentioned before first then first -- our last in first out and those types of practices which I totally disagree with.
But I do have to say the hard thing.
Infer a positive thing that the union does do is the protection because we are in such right now -- society that people like this to others and teachers are no exception.
So the protection that they do offer sometimes can help because some lawsuits can be very very costly so.
That the hard part is I think the union has the pendulum has swung to where they are really doing a good job of protecting good teachers and looking out for our rights pay raises those types of things.
Where they look more towards helping those teachers that.
In my estimation don't really deserve.
Any only about three -- a half a minute or so tell us there's a big scandal going to going on right there in Atlanta now.
What I reach 80% of the teachers the Atlanta area I have been found guilty of admitted to cheating.
Helping kids cheat on tests so -- so they can raise a test scores to make the district look better.
Yes -- -- it was 80% of the schools in the Atlanta Citi public school system.
And it made the superintendent she got national suburban into the year I think it was in 2009 because the test scores rose so much.
But -- widespread -- eighteen teachers are racing marks giving answers horrible horrible horrible.
All right we'll have to leave it there thank you for your time -- -- -- good luck with raising the two kids appreciate time -- Thanks for coming on again Eric -- let's.
