The Teachers' Unions : How the NEA and AFT Sabotage Reform and Hold Students, Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers Hostage to Bureaucracy [Hardcover]

Myron Lieberman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 1997

Renowned education expert and former collective bargainer Myron Lieberman argues that the once-great teacher unions, the NEA and the AFT, have become the primary obstruction to educational change in the United States. In a detailed catalogue of charges, he reveals how these unions suppress reform, divert taxpayer money to partisan politics, and stifle the views of some of their own members in favor of their extreme agenda. He exposes the complicated financial and political dealings of these unions, blowing the whistle on PAC contributions, deceptive accounting practices, PTA domination, and more. Asserting that there is another way, Lieberman proposes local-only unions that would bargain with their districts but not lobby the states or Congress.

With the NEA and the AFT negotiating a merger for 1998, no one concerned about the future of education in America can afford to ignore Lieberman's message.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This cutting polemic against the two largest teacher unions in the United States--the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers--should rile every teacher who pays dues to either of them. Myron Lieberman's detailed exposé of the unions' massive political operations and influence is especially interesting. Lieberman estimates, for instance, that the NEA and AFT employ more full-time political staff than the Democratic and Republican parties combined. The best chapter focuses on the late Albert Shanker, long-time president of the AFT and one of the 20th century's great labor leaders. How Shanker rose to prominence as a tough union boss, stayed in power for more than two decades, and cleverly managed to win the admiration of many antilabor conservatives is a story of frightfully good political skills in action.

Review

... Lieberman offers up a phenomenal trove of facts and anecdotes, exhaustively describing how the teachers' unions work and what their priorities are. His judgments are harsh, even sharp-elbowed.... As Lieberman perceptively concludes, the most encouraging recent development is that the unions themselves "have become a political issue." -- Commentary, Chester E. Finn, Jr.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1ST edition (September 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684842823
• ISBN-13: 978-0684842820
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,982,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Let The Union Head Catch You Reading This Book!!, October 4, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Waltham, Ma.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Teachers' Unions : How the NEA and AFT Sabotage Reform and Hold Students, Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers Hostage to Bureaucracy (Hardcover)

Ever wondered what happens to your union dues? Ever thought about standing up to the union if you disagree with a policy? Are you a reluctant member of a teacher union? Are you a parent tired of hearing about all the horrible thing happening in schools? If so, this is a book you must read. Mr. Lieberman discusses all aspects of the union lifestyle; Their powerful role in politcics, their strongarm tactics in the legislature, and their legalized extortion of members and parents. This is a must read for every teacher and parent. And a wake-up call for every union head across the country.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars public school teacher who agrees!, July 26, 2006

By 

Roger S. Peterson (Rocklin, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Teacher Unions: How They Sabotage Educational Reform and Why (Paperback)

I fought the California Teachers Association in my district and watched as every position they took was against the interests of education and my two kids. I am a teacher in another district. Lieberman is saying what many, many parents rightfully say: the unions are corrupt and immoral. The CTA leadership should be in jail for fraud, lying to parents, lying to its own membership, and single-handedly bringing the state of California to its financial knees. They are crooks.
Roger S. Peterson, Rocklin, California

17 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone concerned about education, May 24, 2000

By 

L. Kaneshiki (Duncansville, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Teachers' Unions : How the NEA and AFT Sabotage Reform and Hold Students, Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers Hostage to Bureaucracy (Hardcover)

This book is a must read for anyone concerned about the state of education in AMerica. Mr Lieberman speaks from years of experience as a teacher and an insider in the teachers unions. I highly recommend it!