Thompson: Using Federal Education Funds To Bash Teachers

Arne Duncan has remained silent as states like Tennessee, Florida, and Rhode Island promised collaboration with teachers and then launched assaults on the rights of teachers.  Then Duncan supported Rahm Emanuel's use of taxpayers' money for the ultimate divide and conquer tactic of bribing "inviting" individual schools to break with the union there.  Now, the Charlotte Observer reports that the Charlotte Mecklenburg schools have used Race to the Top funds to hire public relations coordinators to promote House Bill 546, which is “controversial legislation that allows the school board to adopt performance pay without teachers' approval.” Reform advocates have the right to attack teachers in the political arena, but not with federal funds.  If Duncan  will not put a stop to these outrages against the Democrats' most loyal constituencies, perhaps the General Accounting Office will.  -- JT (@drjohnthompson)Image via.