I am the rep for my school at the local teacher's union. ( I am forced to belong, it is a closed shop, and no one else is willing to do the job.)
I was at the rep meeting last night, and the issue of endorsing political candidates came up. I made a motion that we not endorse anybody, and instead encourage the CTA and NEA to assume a politically neutral stance. We had a debate and I lost.
Then someone else made a motion that we endorse the (almost exclusively Democratic) recomended slate. I argued that we should allow our representatives to be independent actors instead and vote their conscience. I won that one.
By the point of my post, is that afterwards many people came up and thanked me for speaking out against the position of walking in lock step with the Democratic party. But they did so quietly and secretively. The same thing happens on my campus.
I have come to the conclusion that the teaching profession is much more conservative and even Republican than most people think, but that many people are intimidated by the Democratic and left wing domination.
2 comments:
Down near San Bernadino maybe. Up here in Humboldt County I'd say the teachers are, at the very least, left leaning. That said; the ones I know personally seem to be apolitical- not paying all that much attention to politics in their day to day activities. But, come election time they listen to those closest to them: the other fellow teachers and union reps that ARE to the left.
I like how you explain things. I am also a teacher. I'm lucky to have found several other conservative people in my school to discuss things with. I found your blog through Riehl World View and I linked you. Hoping we can share some ideas.
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