My wife (she’s a part time teacher) got this nifty piece of NEA propaganda yesterday, (we actually get enough annually to clear a small Brazilian Rain Forrest–just in case you wondered where those dues went, other than to Democrat politicians) and in it we have comments from four Arizona Teachers, all claiming to be Republicans, and all pointing out how “disappointed they are with John Mc Cain.” (Oooh, act surprised!)

 First off, claiming to be a Republican does not make you one.  I present John Mc Cain as proof.  He’s not a democrat, but if he is such a great republican, what’s he need Palin for.  Anyway, while these “educators” (they are not necessarily teachers) may be registered as Republicans, their associations are primarily with organizations who promote democrat policies, and the lefts agenda. 

Kathy Ray of Mesa, AZ–she’s got an issue with Arizona’s per pupil funding (Arizona is 49^th), and because pay is performance-based test scores apparently “should not be the only measure of an ability to teach.”  

I suppose we could follow that logic down to, “why give tests at all.”  Maybe like-ability is a better measure.  Why don’t you guys go to school for 160 or 180 days— or whatever it is— and do nothing but recess, then promote everyone to the next grade.  That’s definitely not test-score based.  No homework, no tests, hey wait a minute.     What do we need you for at all?  Parents won’t even have to pay you.  I’m sure you can find another job where performance doesn’t matter.  Democratic presidential nominee comes to mind.

For the record Arizona as a state is just below the national average, on math, reading and writing.  That may be a product of a large Spanish speaking contingent in the public school system.  And Kathy may have a point about a broader dynamic–NCLB is an unmitigated disaaster but we can save that for another time–but as the Region 10 Rep for the MEA, which is part of the AEA, and the NEA, all education unions, it’s hard to say where Kathy’s loyalties lay.  She may be a registered republican, but I’m going to have to say she’s turned blue–OK, I’ll go with RINO.

Julie Horwin, Scottsdale, AZ.—I guess McCain wanted to tax educator’s health care benefits, but in the footnoted reference, I was unable to find that.  This was the day McCain announced his plan for less government in Medicine, healt insurance tax cuts to families instead of businesses, limit restrictions on interstate shopping, basically open up the market and let people shop around like they do for every other kind of insurance.

Julie is sort of an independent contractor of sorts, and her primary function as an educator appears union-centric, so maybe she doesn’t dig anything that might pull the benefits struggle out of the contract process.   She’s also on the record in a NYT article dated 1/24/08 as a Hillary supporter; not just any “Republican” from Arizona gets to do that, and no Republicans get to do it and say, “I’m a Republican.”  She’s also a staff member at the Arizona Education Association, and appears well connected to the NEA. (She also donated $500 to Arizona Democrat Congressman Harry Mitchell’s campaign.—Harry is pro-stem cell, anti Iraq war, he seems tough on immigration, but he’s a bit of a socialist on Health care.)  RINO doesn’t cover Julie, and neither does Republican.

Kristi Frederickson, Flagstaff AZ—is a professor at Northern Arizona University—not exactly your typical NEA haunt.  She plays the “McCain is more Bush, and he supported tax-cuts for the rich canard.”  Anyone who believes this is too stupid to be an educator–but since she has recently been promoted to a University, she may simply fit the maxim, “only an intellectual is dumb enough to believe that.”  She’s still appears to have her WEA, AEA, NEA connections from her days in public education.  (Why else would she be in an NEA flier).  Not much else to say accept, after years in the union, your either a democrat or a RINO.  I was in a union for a long time, I know.

Finally, Dawn Arnold, of Phoenix, AZ–She’s a teacher, but points out that McCain has a history “voting against public schools.”  So do most republicans.  That’s why we are republicans, Dawn.  We think the public school monopoly sucks.  We think it fuels an unecessary schools board system, administrave jungle, and feeds the unions, all of whom take away education dollars from education.   You can like that, or join the DNC.   Dawn doesn’t have much press, but she is part of the AEA.  They have a nice comment from her on their members section.

So no, it is not remarkable that 4 teachers from Arizona would be connected with a bunch of teacher’s unions, but it is a bit of a stretch—more so than say just about anything the left has dug up on Sarah Palin—that these are real republicans, who have conservative values, and are simply fed-up with Mc Cain.   And the NEA has never had to stretch too far to find good union employees willing to go public against anyone whose agenda endangers their quest to rule the educational universe.

All in all, this flier is fluff and crap.  But it’s shiny.  And I suppose since this critique was written by a right wing blogger my critique is crap—and not shiny.  (Go with the shiny crap!  Pick the shiny one!  Becasue its SHINY!