Hey Teacher! Leave Them Kids Alone!

Channelling our inner Pink Floyd

The IAF and Teacher's unions.

All in all

 just another brick in the wall.

Breitbart posted an article about a Wisconsin Teacher's Union being trained by a well-funded Alinsky's IAF group.

This didn't come as a big shock to us.  We have a Teacher's Union in our own backyard that is an actual AFFILIATE of the Alinsky IAF.  And the teachers in this union are

TEACHING OUR OWN CHILDREN.

Suppose parents in Conservative

 Mesa, AZ even realize this?

A little refresher course:

Two of the groups in the IAF Valley Interfaith Project include:

Mesa Education Association.

MESPA
(Mesa Education Support Personnel Association for Mesa Public Schools)

The MEA website homepage gives the impression that they have nothing but the best interests of the children at heart.

We are a professional association advocating for quality public schools for every child.

Yet, most of what they REALLY do is for the benefit of the teachers themselves. Oh, and they are activists for liberal causes. Anything for the children, right?

President of MEA, Kathy Ray on right

-One of the members of the MEA Facebook page, Robert Unferth, was heavily involved in the Russell Pearce recall effort and recruited help from the IAF MEA organization.  He posted last June:

Robert Unferth RECALL PEARCE - NEXT STEPS: 1) Make calls to over 10,000 supporters; 2) Continue to visit voters every Saturday to sign them up; 3) Voter registration and PEVL sign-ups; & 4) Raise $5,000 by the end of June. Please let your friends and family members know that our campaign is not over! Now is the time to recruit more volunteers and stay engaged, active and vocal!
www.recallpearce.com or email to rap7power@gmail.com  (Randy Parraz's email account)

-If you are looking for ways to make your voice heard, and show your support for your fellow teachers in Wisconsin (and other states), as well as support for all public workers, here are a few things you can do.

1. Visit the AEA website at www.arizonaea.org for more information on “Wear Red for Ed” and a link to sign NEA’s petition on Education Votes.

2. Visit moveon.org at this link: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=112845&id= to sign up to attend the “Rally to Save the American Dream” being held TOMORROW (2/26) at the Arizona State Capitol at 12 PM.

3. Tell your friends and family, and encourage them to show their support for educators and public employees, as well as workers’ rights

-Hey teacher friends! Please support Mesa teacher, Mike Conway Monday night as he debates his opponents in Legislative District 18. HE NEEDS SUPPORTERS, so please support Mesa Education Association's own member! (We have discussed Mike Conway before)

-This month MEA has assisted several teachers with disciplinary issues as well as evaluation concerns.  (what about the kids?)

-MEA has an amazing team assembled for bargaining and we have been meeting several times to prepare for the new process, but also to plan for our interests in making our working conditions better.

-Mesa teachers and support staff members have borne the brunt of a bad economy plus a legislature that has certainly not been supportive of public education, public education teachers and support staff. Our elected "leaders" have been especially punitive toward the concept that employees have participation in the decisions that affect our profession, our careers and the student learning for which we are tasked.

-A meeting on February 28, 2012 at Mesa High School  featured Joe Rubio from the IAF Valley Interfaith Project who spoke about "Organizing for Power."

Joe Rubio is the Supervisor for the IAF Southwest Affiliates. We know what he thinks about immigration. He said, criticizing AZ lawmakers who passed SB1070, "Where do the legislators think business will find workers?"

We also know how Rubio felt about the Arizona Accord....

"The accord focuses on common sense solutions, not demagoguery, and it shows that good economics and a humane approach to immigration are not only possible but very necessary.”

So, the MEA teacher's group is hosting a meeting with the Supervisor for the IAF? SAUL ALINSKY's IAF?

It sounds EXACTLY like something that would be useful

"for the children".

Just as we're sure the strategies discussed in a leadership training meeting will help train them to be better teachers "for the children".

Like: ability to organize, we are activists, organizers, and our favorite....

"Educate so that the word ADVOCATE is seen positive"

So, we have the Mesa Education Support Personnel Association with the Mesa PUBLIC SCHOOLS who is affiliated with the IAF.

We also have the MEA (and the AEA and NEA) with Mesa Public Schools who have ties to the IAF. Suppose those teachers who work for Mesa Public schools and those who pay dues to groups like the MEA, AEA or NEA realize that they are directly supporting the IAF?

All in all it's just

 another brick in the wall.