Are education reformers bad Democrats? Challengers at DNC convention confront teachers union

More and more Democrats are starting to challenge the National Education Association and other teacher unions for standing in the way of education reform.

Union Tensions at DNC
by Michele McNeil
Education Week

The education event that followed the NEA luncheon showed the growing tensions within the Democratic Party over school reform, and the role of teachers’ unions.

Though it’s no surprise an event sponsored by the Democrats for Education Reform would have a slight anti-union message; many of the speakers at the event took several shots at unions during the press conference announcing the Education Equality Project in June.

Today, the sentiment was strong and persistent at standing-room-only, three-hour forum called Ed Challenge for Change. In fact, some of the big-city mayors who participated predicted that had such a forum been held four years ago, a mere five souls would have showed.

Here at the Denver Art Museum, Democratic mayors from Newark, N.J., Washington D.C., and Denver joined education reform darlings including New York City’s Joel Klein and Washington D.C.’s Michelle Rhee. The group was referred to as the “misfits” of the Democratic Party by DFER's Joe Williams, a nod to their willingness to speak up against the influence of teachers’ unions, which have formed the backbone of the party...

Here's more about NEA and Washington D.C.:

Darcy Burner, Washington D.C.

NEA Throws Darcy Under the Bus, Undermines NEA’s Health Care Agenda
July 22, 2008
by Matt Stoller



The NEA's Washington chapter, the Washington Education Association, just endorsed Republican Dave Reichert for Congress over progressive Democrat Darcy Burner. Now, there are a lot of reasons that organizations endorse, and in this case it's because Reichert has badmouthed unfunded mandates. Reichert has a bad voting record on education, with a 10% rating on education from Progressive Punch. He has among other things voted to gut Head Start and lots and lots of scholarship money, as well as voting down the line with Republicans to gut Federal spending on education. But the NEA's Washington chapter wants a Republican in their pocket, so they are throwing Darcy Burner under the bus...