Florida Teachers Union Draws a Line in the Sand Over School Choice

The Florida Education Association won't say where it's spending its money (see story here), but a former union captain explicitly lays out the FEA's strategy.

Doug Tuthill, former president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, writes:

[FEA] could spend money organizing virtual, charter and private school teachers into industrial-style bargaining units, but these units would in most cases be too small to generate an acceptable return on investment. Therefore FEA sees spending money to prevent teachers and parents from creating learning options outside the control of school boards and teachers' unions as the smarter business move."

Tuthill says the FEA may be willing to deal on merit pay or tenure, but the union will fight to the death any initiative that diminishes enrollment outside its purview (i.e., school choice). Expect a donnybrook if Gov. Rick Scott pushes vouchers.

Read Tuthill's piece here.

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