Is There Any Room for Education at the NEA?

As most of you are aware my wife is a teacher here in Oregon, and on many occasions she has complained about the inept union in which she is required to belong to for teaching. Considering the dire circumstances of Oregon schools and the United States monopoly known as "public education" - Let's see what the largest, tax-exempt teacher's union, the NEA had to say at the conclusion of its annual meeting in Los Angeles:
To participate in a national boycott of Wal-Mart (Two resolutions);

To fight efforts to privatize Social Security (nine separate resolutions);

To add the words "other" and "multi-ethnic" in addition to "unknown" in the category of ethnicity on all forms; (Why ask at all?)

To commemorate the "historic merger of the National Education Association and the American Teachers Association, which occurred in 1966";

To expose health problems associated with "fragrance chemicals"; (I assume this means perfumes. Another resolution called for designating areas of NEA meetings as "fragrance-free zones.");

To fight indoor air pollution (two resolutions);

To make health care an organizational priority;

To expand efforts to elect pro-public education candidates to Congress in 2006;

To promote the designation of April as National Donate Month to promote organ and tissue donation;

To push for a commemorative stamp honoring public education;

To push for more collective bargaining; (You mean there is not enough?)

To study the feasibility of a boycott of Gallo wine (A separate resolution banned the serving of Gallo wine at any NEA functions.);

To develop a strategic program to help NEA Republican members advance a pro-public education agenda with the party;

To defend affirmative action and oppose the Michigan Civil Rights Amendment;

To oppose the annual observance of "Take Your Child to Work Day" during the regular school year; (I do not know what to say on this silly idea!)

To oppose all forms of privatization;

To investigate the establishment of affordable housing programs for members;

To respond aggressively to any inappropriate use of the words "retarded" or "gay" in the media; (Good, I can go back to calling them homo's now)

To fight the "regressive taxation practices of the federal government";

To support education programs for prisoners and former prisoners;(The electric chair appears to work just fine)

To support research on women and heart disease;

To push for an "exit strategy to end the U.S. military occupation of Iraq";(IF they support the troops this should not be a problem)

To oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement;

To push for debt cancellation in underdeveloped countries;(Take more money from the tax payers and receive nothing in return just like sending our kids to school!)

To teach children about the "significant history of labor unions";

To develop a comprehensive strategy of support for homosexuality;(Not at any school my children will attend!)

To educate the public and members about identity theft;(Pot calling the kettle black I say, NEA?)

To explore alternatives to using latex balloons and gloves at NEA functions.

Silly me, like most Americans, I thought the National Education Association had something to do with education. 70+ resolutions and barely 8.7% of the resolutions actually have anything to do with classroom education.

Oh, I'm sorry... by classroom, I mean a room inside of a school with desks and students. Perhaps the NEA should change its name to the National Indoctrination Association, this way us average folk would at least get a clue as to their mission.

Hopefully someday their will be a spin-off of the NEA called "Teachers Teaching", the logo would have a "T" with a little "2" in the corner. A novel logo for the novel idea of teaching kids. I can hardly wait to see what comes out of next year's National Education Association meeting - perhaps a resolution:
To substitute an anti-nausea medication for the Kool-Aid at NEA functions.