The Pen Is Indeed Mighty, Terry Moe Hamstrings The AFT

I’m not sure what possessed AFTie John to write this inane post. He argues that because some people say the teachers’ unions should take on a host of fights to improve schooling but at the same time Stanford prof Terry Moe says they should do very little outside of core bargaining issues, the poor teachers’ unions are consequently paralyzed by the competing pressure. Great message for your members John! We’re so whiny and weak we’re undone by a lone college professor. That’ll help with organizing, who wouldn’t want to be part of a formidable organization like that?

He also basically claims that the teachers’ unions never use the argument that out of school factors matter to student learning as an argument against accountability. He’s right that, to their credit, this isn’t a centerpiece of the AFT’s argument with No Child Left Behind the way it is for the NEA, but he should just come out and say that. The AFT privately grumbles way too much that no one makes distinctions between them and the NEA relative to their willingness to suck it up and actually make those distinctions themselves. But perhaps, if that’s too daunting, as an interim step they can get Terry Moe to write it. I hear Moe can bring powerful organizations to their knees with his pen.

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