A Thought on the Early Obama Endorsement

I've worked really, really hard to get the Washington Education Association to endorse Republicans. I've worked to steer some of our Politial Action Committee funds to Republicans. I believe completely that there are Republicans in this state who are better on public education than many of the Democrats are, and I could give a shit what political party you stand for--if you're a friend of the schools, you're a friend of mine.

That's why I can't for the life of me understand why the NEA is considering an early endorsement of President Obama. Race to the Top didn't help the schools. When every teacher at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island was fired, Obama pointed to that and called it accountability. The new pre-school version of RttT is going to introduce the testing regime to preschoolers. They need a nap, he's giving them the NAEP. It's pathetic.

What this reeks of is the kind of education politics I truly hate--the reflexive endorsement of the party over the person--and when we're racing ahead of every other union to give Obama a reacharound after being thrashed by his own Department of Education for the past 2.5 years, it's only right to ask what the hell our NEA leadership is thinking.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel was stupid to bring this to the Representative Assembly, and I sincerely hope the delegates see it that way. This one's not just a no--it's a hell no.