NEA Takes Control of ISTA
The AP is reporting what I heard earlier this week might happen, the National Education Association is taking over the Indiana State Teachers Association. This has serious political consequences as ISTA is one of the largest contributors to Indiana Democrats. This is also a big victory for choice and charter schools. Stay tuned.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The National Education Association has taken over its troubled Indiana affiliate after problems with its insurance trust landed the teachers union in financial trouble and spurred investigations.
Indiana State Teachers Association President Nate Schnellenberger has sent an e-mail to members saying the NEA will have complete control of the state’s largest teachers union.
The NEA appointed trustee Edward Sullivan to run ISTA. Schnellenberger says Sullivan will try to keep ISTA running smoothly while exploring financial options for the union and making corrections as needed.
Schnellenberger says ISTA’s board requested the NEA trusteeship to ensure the union is financially viable.
ISTA is working to untangle its insurance trust from millions of dollars in liabilities while the state and the FBI investigate whether fund managers did something more than make risky investments.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:35 am
May 20th, 2009 at 10:44 am
This is more than just funding. It will ultimately impact policy, centralizing control away from local oversight.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:52 am
This sounds more severe than it is…it is more like Dad stepping in when a child has not handled things well. You must remember that every member of ISTA is also an NEA member so it is not really a takeover even though that is the word used in the press release. There was a problem that needed immediate attention and no time to go on a prolonged search for a replacement. NEA as the parent organziation of ISTA stepped in with a extremely experienced person to get things back on the right track. The ship of state is intact and ISTA will continue to support Dems and Repubs who are supportive of public education. However no ISTA money is used for political contributions. Only voluntary contributions to the political action arm of ISTA makes contributions. Those funds are intact.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
This is not a big victory for choice unless choice can beging to build and flex muscle. Not until parents who don’t have opportunities (low-income, inability to provide transportation for children to school) have the infrastructure and flexibility to NOT send their kids to public school.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Greg P, care to share with us your validation about those political contributions? Surely you know that ISTA pacs contributed over $1,000,000 to House Dem’s last cycle — as usual. And surely you know that the NEA is the 7th largest political contributor IN THE NATION for the past 20 years, as reported by http://www.opensecrets.org — with over 90% of their contributions going only to democrats. The ISTA/NEA is an extreme partisan political machine.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Ann4Liberty….you can check out the financial reports of NEA and ISTA…they both contribute to both Dems and Repubs…..and the money is voluntary political donations by members. By Federal law, not one cent of dues money can be used for political contributions…If you think you know otherwise, then you need to report it to the appropriate prosecutor.
May 20th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Nice answer Greg. And it wasn’t over a million.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
In fact, when I was a Union rep in my high school, many people who wanted to join the local union refused because they did not want to support NEA.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:23 am
Oh please drop the sanctimonious attitude. “Voluntary” contributions? Rarely without pressure, this is why people hate PACS, it’s a charade.
As for giving to Dems and Repubs, that’s right — 90% D and 10% R for cover. Here are the real stats on the NEA as compiled from public records by the Center for Responsive Politics, read it and weep: http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/index.php and http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000064.
And ISTA pacs giving to House Dems was $1,045,000+, to be exact. All public info. Do the math.
May 21st, 2009 at 7:42 am
Ann4Liberty…PLEASE…if you are too weak to say no that is your problem……when you sign your membership form for NEA/ISTA..there is a section very clearly marked…VOLUNTARY PAC CONTRIBUTION…believe me, as one who has recruited and signed up many new members, it makes no difference whether somone checks that box or not…….your misinformation and hidden agenda does not become even YOU.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:24 am
Ann4Liberty: Thanks for your data, rebuttal, and spunk. I don’t know the societal answer to the necessity for unions arising from the excesses of employers, only to be followed by the unions own excesses. But, if the ISTA is not “an extreme partisan political machine” with a “hidden agenda”, then I’m nuts not to get all my current events coverage from the ideologically equitable staffs of The New York Times and National “Public” Radio.
.
Thank goodness we agree that spending money fixes everything, hopefully including my mistaken fallacies.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:48 am
“The excess of employers”? In the case of all Indiana ISTA members the “employers” would be the taxpayers. In this case, I don’t know of any employer “excesses” that compare with the near total lack of performance of government schools, an abuse that has been going on for decades. ISTA IS a private organization which has parisitically attached itself to the body politic and acts like parasites generally do with the exception that it purchases politicians.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
And, apparantly there is no talent in Indiana sufficient to drag this cart out of its mudbath?
July 8th, 2010 at 8:08 am
The post of content is very interesting and exciting. I learned a lot from here.The content from simple to complex, so all of you can come in . No matter you want to see what can be found.By the way ,there are some websites is also very wonderful,you can go and see.such as Jordan OL School