No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has produced many unintended and unfavorable consequences for students, parents and educators across the country. Six years of experience with NCLB demonstrate the law's complexity and the vital need to take the time to carefully consider and fully understand how each proposed change will affect our nation's schools and students.
So...the overarching regulatory act on education, of which the MTA is at least deeply suspicious, believing the law is in need of "more significant changes". John Kerry might agree or something, but I can't really tell. You see, John Kerry doesn't really have an issues page, just a brag page of things that he's said about issues...if he hasn't given a good speech on an issue, it's ignored. Education isn't mentioned. However, we know that he voted for the law, and may have flip-flopped since then...but he hasn't really taken a definitive stand. So it's pretty much a "get back to you on that" kind of stance.
So on one hand, we have Ed O'Reilly who knows education and would repeal this odious broach of the principle of federalism that calls itself a law...and then we have John Kerry. One might expect the MTA to stand with other education stakeholders with O'Reilly, or at least excuse itself from this primary. But standing for principles isn't nearly as wicked as the access you get by kissing up to the right people, and it looks like the MTA brass doesn't want the cool cocktail parties to be the sole turf of other progressive issue groups who've sold out their members. So they've gone ahead and endorsed John Kerry, a man who (at least for the moment) stands for the single biggest impediment to its members doing their jobs well. Maybe a good choice for the "MTA", but not one for Massachusetts teachers. Thanks for nothing, guys.
PS: As usual, Mark Begich shows what leadership is, this time on education. Six months from now, Alaska will have a more nuanced, populist, accomplished, progressive, Senator than Massachusetts.
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