Reg Weaver has seen it all. As president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association (NEA) -- the nation's largest professional employee organization, Reg and the NEA are constantly under siege by the forces of the right.
"The biggest bashers want to bash unions", he tells me, "but they never talk about resources. They never talk about what they're taking away from kids."
As a middle school science teacher and 30-year classroom veteran, Weaver has been a lifelong advocate for quality public schools. "Teachers need tools and resources. They're doing a great job but we need to fight for quality education for every kid." That's a battle, because the right-wing is constantly gunning for Teachers.
Still, there's hope. "We'll win this because of good practice and good policies and because we have to make sure that every kid in America can get a good education."
The NEA is building support with policy makers, but the budget battles are a real challenge. "28 or 29 states have budget shortfalls of over $29 Billion dollars and we have 12 states cutting back on K-12. Subprime, Housing, foreclosures; the economy can have a negative impact on schools, but privatization is not the answer."
History supports Weaver. Case in point; the Edison Schools which offered a privatization panacea, but completely failed to deliver:
Edison's educational and financial performance has been the subject of criticism. Despite initial promises of costs reductions client districts reported higher costs for their Edison schools. Edison's claims about academic improvement failed to live up to the company's promises. A July 2002 New York Times analysis of Edison's claims found that the troubled Cleveland, Ohio, school system achieved higher gains than Edison's schools when analyzed with the methodology Edison applied to its own schools' achievement.
"Privatizers think they're going to work miracles", Weaver asserts, "but the facts show that is a myth."