Secretary
Paige, you owe ME an apology.
I am the NEA.
On Monday,
February 23, the same day President George W. Bush launched the opening
salvo in his re-election campaign, his Secretary of Education, Rod Paige,
called the National Education Association a “terrorist organization.”
These events
were no accident or coincidence. Demonizing America’s public school
teachers and education support professionals has been a longstanding
practice of public education’s opponents.
In 1996,
Senator Bob Dole accepted his presidential nomination saying, "To
the teachers unions I say, when I am president, I will disregard your
political power, for the sake of the parents, the children, the schools
and the nation."
While Secretary
Paige has since called NEA President Reg Weaver and has issued a statement
saying he used an "inappropriate choice of words," his behavior
cannot be countenanced. Moreover, he continues to inflame the situation,
referring to our efforts to improve ESEA/NCLB as "obstructionist
scare tactics." He continues to demean our organization; to attempt
to drive a wedge between our organization, our members, and the public;
and to try to silence any dissent regarding the Administration's misguided
education policies.
Is this what
George W. Bush meant in 2000 when he said he wanted to come to Washington,
D.C. to “change the tone”?
Let Washington
know how you feel about being called a terrorist. Send a message today
to President
Bush, Secretary
Paige, and your U.S.
Representative
and Senators.
President
Weaver's News Release
Education
Insider 
