Stand for Children Co-founder describes Illinois take down of teachers and their unions.

[michaelalanlee]

This is wrong on so many levels. What is wrong with these people who always blame teachers and never ask if the administrators and boards are incompetent? But, I guess none of this matters to people who are in this for the politics and power and not the education.

[corporateedreform]

who is the other guy on Edelman's right?



[porkchop745]

I don't have children, what can I do?

[9goats8]

This is not the entire 58 minute or so video, just an excerpt. 

[Elin48]

This is appalling.

[Gattsu25]

Wow, this is absolutely sickening.

[alt173]

I feel the need to shower after watching this scumbag talk for 15 minutes. It's shady political manipulators bending and twisting the system to inflict their own agenda who have contributed to the corruption and destruction of the American economy. This man should be ashamed of the fact that he can speak so boldly about such dark dealings.

[Elin48]

@alt173 I agree.  What do you think there objective is?

[alt173]

@Elin48 Their objective? At the risk of sounding trite or simplistic, I will invoke Occam's Razor and give this answer: Money. In America today we have the phenomenon of the "money grab" -- essentially the attempt by certain groups to use the taxing powers of government to direct funds into their private coffers. (Think charter schools that are funded w/public tax $.) No real value, just theft. Unions represent organizations of ppl who are (generally) in opposition to this agenda; they must go.

[Elin48]

@alt173 What I despise is all this high and mighty "we care about the children and the unions and the teachers do not". It's disgusting, and completely fake. I agree with you that unfortunately it's a money grab. Will we the people be able to stop it, or will America lose it's Middle Class?

[sylvangilley]

Why does STAND think Principals are so above reproach, and should have so much power to hire and fire? Because a relatively small group of very vocal and persistent parents can control the average principal's every move.

As a teacher, we've seen it happen over and over again. Most principals will bend to the vocal parents' wishes, whether or not it's good for the kids or good for the overall learning environment.

What is STAND? A very big, very vocal, and very persistent group of parents.

[phillipcantor]

@sylvangilley They are not really a parents group anymore. They are a group of very wealthy business people who think that public education is there to serve their business interests. They want docile workers and opportunities to make a profit off the testing, the tech and the curricula... they even have interests in Education Management Organizations (EMOs) and Charter Schools which can be centers of profits for these guys. They don't care about children. It's all about the money

[mrsjennifermarshall]

It is more about fooling the people who the legislators were supposed to vote for but instead they voted for the people who threw the most money at them. Is that really how you want our political system to work, not how it does work but how it is supposed to work? I know I don't so that is the reason for the video along with a warning to other unions around the country. They are in or coming to a city near you. Alec, Students first and Stand for Children are changing public ed in a harmful way

[svp2010]

I dont understand why people are getting upset with Braggart; all he did was to tell the truth on the agreement YOUR teachers union signed and supported. YOUR leadership failed you...deal with it

[phillipcantor]

@svp2010 the union was outmaneuvered and way outspent. This is true. STAND ON CHILDREN basically bought the political influence away from the unions to further their interests.

[SeagTube]

The Baby-boomers gave up trying to improve America after Reagan was elected

Liberals gave up on trying to improve America after NAFTA was passed,

Wall Street gave up on trying to improve America after Glass-Steegal was repealed,

Democrats gave up on America after G.W. Bush was re-elected,

Soon the working-class will lose all faith in America.

Then the deal will be sealed. The rich will finish off the carcass of what was the greatest country ever, and America will officially be Rome.

[rjdc1991]

Are you proud of yourself Jonah????? Look how bad you look!

[Zva26]

This is a total outrage. These people have no idea what it means to be a dedicated teacher. They have no idea what it means to work as a teacher. They are totally oblivious and clueless. Where the hell did Jonah Edelman come from??? As if we didn't have enough idiots here already!! Moreover, I'm not all THAT sure that the CTU couldn't muster up 75% of the vote to strike!

[SoINeedAName48]

Stand for Children ...

A VILE, EVIL charade to indoctrinate our children into radical, far right-wing lunacy.

And of course it's paid for by WalMart money!

[expatted]

Scumbags. 

[glendatownsend]

This is slime at its best. Edelman never mentions how destroying the unions will help all kids learn. Oh, I forgot, that is not the point is it? Grabbing our pensions, reducing salaries to minimum wage due to extended day/year schedules and basically raping this system to further line the pockets of education-for-profit snakes is the objective.

[scientiaarsvita1]

Thank you so much for posting this.

"they [unions] are concerned mostly about their dues and their membership" (~8)

"the unions cannot strike . . .and all this with the narrative of union leadership" (~13)

I watched the video and read his apology before posting this. He is only sorry he got caught. How can you be for children if you are so rabidly against the organizations that support their teachers, i.e. the unions? This joker is drunk on power. He wouldn't last two days in a classroom.

[sylvangilley]

@scientiaarsvita1

Where is his apology?

[CLEVELTECH]

Yep, a destroyer of equal education for all.

[teachermissy]

This is disgusting. It's all just a big game to him. Funny how his organization is called Stand for Children when it is clear he is doing anything but that. We are watching our nation crumble.

[wedontneedaclipnow]

Just because afew bad negotiators made bad decisions in a state doesn't mean they're good policy. Parents and citizens should still fight back against giving administrators power to hire only their friends.

[ThatRemindsMeOf]

This video is nauseating to watch, and AGAIN it is someone with no true connection to the beauty of teaching. I rarely have a bad word to say about videos on here, but honestly, this man can rot in hell. So can all the people he claimed were in on these decisions. I'm disgusted. The ARROGANT, self-serving bulls***t, excuse my language, that this man spouts is unbearable. It's as though destroying people through trickery is something to be proud of. In life, what goes around, comes around.

[phillipcantor]

If you go to Fred Klonsky's blog you will get to see Edelmen's apology. I tried to post the link, but YouTube won't let me.

[arentap1]

Chilling. And sitting with Jonah Edelman is Jim Crown of the right-wing billionaire Crown Family of Chicago.

[blkfrhwk]

principals have always had the ability to remove poor teachers. the removal of due process makes it possible for them to remove good teachers who voice opposing opinions or provide research supporting alternative points of view. laws that prevent groups of workers from striking for valid reasons limit free speech rights of that group.

[CherBearBlue9]

I wish even one person in this organization would read the research on how to REALLY improve student learning, NOT TEST SCORES. Student learning is what is really important here and much of what is in the union contracts makes it easier for teachers to help students learn. Thanks @phillipcantor for pointing those specifics out.

[greavesfinancial]

Play this for the teachers in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and every other city in the nation.

[tracynovick]

"To in essence jam this down their throats..."

[JayBroquet]

This is the best video every. All the liberal, corrupt union sellouts are exposed. The Obama/Emmanuel/Duncan war on working people, public schools and pensions is a BRAGGING point for this douchebag in the video.

Teachers Unions to Obama and the Goldman Sachs Democrats: "We scratch your back, you stab ours."

[JayBroquet]

So his argument is that we can't tax the rich, the old should live in poverty despite paying into pensions their entire working life and schools should be run by the educational equivalent of McDonalds?

This guy is a yuppie turd.

[rlimmekus]

I think if you play this to the Chicago Teachers, they will "muster" the 75% to strike.

[phillipcantor]

@rlimmekus Unfortunately the wording is that there would need to be 75% of all those eligible to vote... so even if a very high 80% voted 90% of those would have to vote for a strike. If only 74% vote and 100% of them vote for a strike it would not meet the threshold. Those numbers make it impossible to strike.... even if we did there is a 90 day cooling off period that would kick-in upon a strike vote which would make a strike completely ineffective.

[phillipcantor]

Why do these millionaires from the west coast think they know how to educate our students here in Chicago? Is "ramming laws down the unions' throats" really the way to improve education? So many of their "reforms" are not showing any results and are not supported by any research.

[MsMomraths]

@phillipcantor Look at the funders of Stand for CHildren - there are plenty of Chicago millionaires on there!

[phillipcantor]

@MsMomraths true... some are even on the CPS Board of Education.

[mdhattem]

@phillipcantor The only "results" their "reforms" are seeking is profit. People like Edelman and his cronies are professional swindlers. They milked the stock market until it almost collapsed so now they're looking for a new cash cow and that is all the money the government spends on public education. But to get their hands on it, they have to get rid of the people who would stand in they way of their profits, i.e., teachers and their unions. They couldn't care less about children.

[nobodybetterer]

talk and we listen. put it on the internet and it lives forever. even if you try to hide it. #aspen

[mrsjennifermarshall]

Please add your comments to the video. People need to know why you dislike or like it. Let them know what you think!