Eduwonk.comhas some excellent commentaryabout a highly interesting articleover at Education Weekthat outlines how strategies differ between to the two major teachers unions when dealing with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It is quite another to accept millions in reformer cash and so closely resemble reformers in action that the unions become complicit in the destruction of American public education. Historically the NEA viewed teaching as a profession and itself as a professional organization, similar to the AMA. AFT: There Is A Difference. However, "input" is not "development." AFT at the local level on issues of pay/work rules. How close is too close for the national unions to be to reformer millions? From the 1940s through the 1960s most teachers thought along the lines of the NEA, and where teachers were organized they tended to join the NEA. On the other hand, the AFT … I have been wondering about "the unions" -- the two major national teachers unions -- the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA). Neither AFT nor NEA offers any critical analysis of CCSS. NEA vs. AFT? I'd say the Dems are in hock to both. OVERVIEW The best-known teacher unions in the United States are the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Teachers are still highly educated, politically aware and active, and have some free time in the afternoons - so they have always been a good source of foot labor for the Dems. It appears that in action, both national unions support the concept of grading teachers using student test scores. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Not sure where the "true line" is. Then LAUSD -- which substantially dipped into its construction bonds to begin this money-suck -- will have to ante up again in order to renew the Pearson CCSS software. CCSS is a top-down orchestration tied to Race to the Top (RTTT) funding and that requires the approval of only two individuals- neither of whom has a livelihood connected to the classroom. Neither AFT nor NEA has acted publicly to curtail the CAEP decision. Thus, what we have are both national unions endorsing the usage of VAM to "grade performance" of those attempting to legitimately enter an increasingly-reform-eroded profession. Sometimes individuals do not agree with those political stances or … If further weakening NEA and AFT affiliates — along with advancing some key reforms — is part of the goal, then yes, SEIU may be helpful. First, a quick consideration of AFT and NEA support for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Take advantage of offerings in home, auto, and life insurance from both NEA and AFT. What is the difference between the AFT and the NEA? If there an AFT local in your worksite that you are eligible to join, please go to this form and select YES. But I do believe they need to distance themselves from the likes of Gates and Pearson and from reformer millions. The AFT (the American Federation of Teachers) and the NEA (the National Education Association) are the two largest nationa teacher unions. Formed during the second half of the 1800s, initially it was slow to work for the needs of its members, but by the 1960s and 1970s, the NEA became a strong teacher rights advocate. However, it seems that the line between national union and corporate reform has become a multi-million-dollar blur. And not to leave out the … Both NEA and AFT support CCSS but maintain that they want a moratorium from the CCSS tests. However, when it comes to CCSS and VAM, it appears that both national unions have clearly crossed it. The National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) together have more than 3 million members (who vote at high rates). In reaction the NEA became more politically involved and active, but never as much so as the AFT. Just one of … My questioning the unions does not cripple them. It would help teachers take their place in society and from time to time assist in the peer-to-peer discussions that would occur when wages and working conditions needed to be adjusted. In this article, Weingarten does not repeat her 2010 denouncement of VAM as "inappropriate for high-stakes decisions about individual teachers." One difference is that the AFT, brought to national prominence by Albert Shanker, tends to act more like a regular union, going on strikes, etc., and the NEA more like a professional organization, less militant in its tactics. SHARE; Facebook; Twitter; Email; SMS; WhatsApp; Share; I suppose this is something I should know, but I don’t, so does anyone out there know what the difference between the NEA and the AFT … Two organizations account for practically all of the contributions made by teachers unions: The National Education Association (about $20 million in 2016) and the American Federation of Teachers (almost $12 million). Power up! One difference is that the AFT, brought to national prominence by Albert Shanker, tends to act more like a regular union, going on strikes, etc., and the NEA more like a professional organization, less militant in its tactics. The country’s two largest teachers' unions -- the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers -- spent a combined $330 million in the past five years on outside causes, … Let's keep adding to it: Pearson is also deeply connected to CCSS via both testing consortia, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Both NEA and AFT endorsed VAM usage for evaluating teachers in training. Van Roekel writes of NEA input into CCSS. While significantly smaller, the AFT … Their adherence to a mission designed for the world of the 1960s will … In this April 2011 AFT press release, Weingarten unreservedly supports the pro-CCSS, Gates-Pearson alliance: The AFT welcomes this development in the implementation of the Common Core standards: the creation of digital course materials, professional development and curricula that will help teachers integrate the standards into classroom practice. It seems as though the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has chosen a different, and perhaps more productive, method of coping with the law by attempting to change it while the National Education Association (NEA) … Apparently neither are all who are "internal" to AFT; in this November 5, 2013, Education Week article, AFT President Randi Weingarten admits experiencing "pressure" from AFT's receiving Gates funding: Top union officials have faced internal rebukes for taking foundation cash. In fact, there are even signs of renewed vigor in the union ranks. To do that, teachers, parents, administrators and communities must come together and develop sound implementation plans, put those plans into place, and evaluate how well they work for students. I have been told that in their associations with corporate reform, the unions are just trying to "secure a seat at the table" in order to fight for teachers. I don't think so. In this May 2013 Huffington Post blog, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel heartily endorses CCSS and its implementation: Students across the nation are counting on us to help them learn and reach their dreams by getting the transition to Common Core State Standards right. NEA has term limits, AFT doesn't. I have been told not to question the unions- that my doing so could hinder their effectiveness in fighting "against reform." NEA has its cherished direct democracy, while AFT is dominated by one or two internal political parties. The UFT was founded in 1960 as Local 2 of the now 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers (AFT). For example, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) sued the state over the April 2012 Act 1 legislation, a major component of which involves the tying of teacher evaluation to student test scores. As for my local union, the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers: It is in the spotlight for having joined with our local school board in supporting a formal resolution against both CCSS and PARCC. In contrast, her position in 2013 regarding Gates' MET is noticeably forgiving of VAM usage: Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the findings from the Gates study "reinforce the importance of evaluating teachers based on a balance of multiple measures of teaching effectiveness, in contrast to the limitations of focusing on student test scores, value-added scores or any other single measure.". We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote. "Input" need not even be heeded. Development is foundational; input is not. I have been told that "the unions" are the major forces on the side of classroom teachers in this fight against the corporate takeover of American public education. The case is scheduled to be reheard in district court on December 20, 2013. As the recent statewide teacher strikessuggest—including in red states like Kentucky and West Virginia—those who wer… Rather than join LFT in the lawsuit against ACT, the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) has decided to use its resources to "pursue legal challenges [associated with Act 1] on a parish by parish basis.". As for the use of value-added modeling (VAM) in teacher evaluation: Both NEA and AFT were represented on the newly-formed Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) task force that decided over Labor Day Weekend 2013 that VAM should be used to determine the "effectiveness" of teachers in training. ©2021 Verizon Media. Pearson CCSS software is already on those overpriced iPads- but the license lasts for only three years. The AFT view teaching as more of a form of hourly labor. Association of Texas Professional Educators 305 E Huntland Dr, Suite 300 Austin, TX 78752 (800) 777-ATPE (2873) Fax: (512) 467-2203 Email: info@atpe.org Published in Print: August 6, 2014, as AFT, NEA Agendas Converge as External, Internal Pressures Rise Related Stories “NEA Aims to Revive Organizing as Membership Drops,” June 4, 2014. Originally posted 11-09-13 at deutsch29.wordpress.com. At that point the AFT started to grow and take membership away from the NEA. Likely it is somewhere in past millions. So, where are both AFT and NEA when it comes to VAM? AFT tends to be more urban, NEA suburban. The biggest difference between the NEA (National Education Association) and the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) is the historic separation — the NEA is a professional organization and the AFT … Both NEA and AFT endorsed VAM usage for evaluating teachers in training. Both assume CCSS is a major, indispensable education solution- period. NEA at the national level on the need to water down accountability reforms. The NEA and the AFT will be the obstacles in the road, blocking the way of new ideas, even those generated from within. In my continued efforts to answer such a question for myself, here I consider involvements of both AFT and NEA in what I am sure each would argue is its "place at the table in the fight against reform" regarding two major issues: The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and value-added (VAM) usage in teacher evaluation. AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus and TEACH 2019 attendees march in the Lights for Liberty Vigil, Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C. We are committed to community engagement, organizing, … When the 1970s rolled around, stagflation hit, budgets started getting cut, and teachers bearing the brunt of the problems with city school systems, it became apparent that those in power considered teachers to be akin to janitors rather than doctors, and treated them accordingly. Nevertheless, she conceded, "At one point or another, maybe the pressure will be so great we won't be able to do it anymore.". In Michigan, Rick Snyder beat the NEA- and AFT-backed Mark Schauer by a four-point margin. For our retired members, AFT offers senior term life and long-term care insurance policies. Today is National Voter Registration Day! That’s exactly what the National Education Association (“NEA”) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (“PSEA”) did to 20-year union member and educator Mary Trometter, and she’s demanding … As mentioned before, the NEA is typically a Democratic association while the AFT is typically a Republican association. One difference is that the AFT, brought to national prominence by Albert Shanker, tends to act more like a regular union, going on strikes, etc., and the NEA more like a professional organization, less militant in its tactics. NEA has term limits, AFT doesn't. And … Become a member. Matthew Yglesias July 20, 2004. Not only that: Both AFT and NEA presidents are members of the CAEP board of directors. However, not all public school teachers are … Both have conducted surveys in which they frame the results as clear evidence of teacher support for CCSS. The National Education Association ($23.7 million) American Federation of Teachers ($8.8 million) AFT Solidarity ($425,000) The three top recipients of direct donations were: Pearson is already tied to both teacher-in-training evaluation and CCSS prep. Aft definition is - near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft. As for NEA's Van Roekel: He offers this paper in which he writes of the need for change from how teacher evaluation has been conducted in the past; however, he avoids mentioning VAM. Blurred lines between union and privatizer I find particularly disturbing. Public school teacher, education activist, PhD, Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. The AFT, the NEA, the Bidens and Democrats apparently have picked out their target. I am concerned about the unions' accepting millions from billionaire reformers like Bill Gates. What is the NEAFT partnership? Jean-Jacques Rousseau - the contrarian genius. Despite legal setbacks, the number of union members nationally has declined only slightly. Both groups -- which compete for members, but also collaborate with each other through the NEA-AFT … I suppose this is something I should know, but I don't, so does anyone out there know what the difference between the NEA and the AFT are? Both AFT and NEA want CCSS. How to use aft in a sentence. NEA vs. AFT? The decisions of union leadership- especially their decisions tied to reformer dollars -- are surely more powerful than any questions I could ask. It represents their mutual interests since they could … We appreciate the interest the Gates and Pearson foundations have taken in ensuring that teachers' voices are central to the design and implementation of these tools, and that is why we have agreed to work with them in this important effort... Let us not forget that Pearson ultimately depends upon profits, as is all too evident in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), billion-dollar iPad fiasco. Membership in the AFT is usually established by joining an AFT … I have been encouraged to "play nice.". In 2013, Gates released its MET finding in favor of a "three-pronged approach" that includes VAM. In 2010, AFT President Randi Weingarten issued a press release in which she endorsed the view that VAM is "inappropriate for high-stakes decisions about individual teachers, students, and schools." All rights reserved. I want that to be true -- but I cannot ignore what I am seeing. To the extent that the AFT is still more militant and more active, they are the ones that have the most influence on the Dems, but the NEA was still larger numerically last time I checked. Let us consider actions over words. Unfortunately, that target is the nation’s students. The actions of the national unions regarding the high-stakes issues of CCSS and VAM-based teacher evaluations demonstrate the comfortable distance between national teacher union leadership and the local classroom teacher. Here's a link to a argument that they should merge that runs down some differences:http://www.educationpolicy.org/files/neaftbk/book0000.htm#I6. Our union is also affiliated with the 600,000-member New York State United Teachers … Whereas the resolution has no legal teeth, it clearly communicates to district parents and other community stakeholders St. Tammany Schools' steadfast position against CCSS and against the testing-dependent so-called "reform" that has been thrust upon it. 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