Channel 11 has a neat report about Fossil Park in Sylvania, OH.  The park is located near an old quarry and piles of fossil-filled rocks are pulled into the park for kids to explore.  Link:

http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=10637043

The Downriver News Herald has a story about Belleville Lake.  Read it here:

http://www.bellevilleview.com/stories/070209/spo_20090702013.shtml

The Detroit Free Press had an excellent story in yesterday’s edition related to the recent River Raisin sediment tests and proposed cleanup.  Link:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090702/NEWS05/907020422/Teams+targeting+poison+in+the+River+Raisin

During the past several days, I have been serving as a Michigan delegate at the National Education Association Representative Assembly in San Diego.  This annual meeting brings 10,000 teachers and educational support staff to  help set policy and priorities for the largest teacher’s union in the nation.  Most of the conference is a series of policy discussions with interest mostly for educators.  But today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke to the assembly on the topic of educational reform.

Before I discuss what Secretary Duncan said, I want to give some background on the relationship between the National Education Association and the Obama Administration.  One might think that a primarily Democratic teacher’s union would have a very close relationship with a Democratic presidential administration, but this should not be assumed.  When President Obama named Duncan as a cabinet secretary, he selected a man who led the effort to institute charter schools and merit pay within the Chicago Public Schools. 

These initiatives are not necessarily supported within the NEA.  Erosion of teacher tenure laws, seniority systems and bargained health care programs and work rules would undo much of what the NEA has worked for during the past several decades.  The result is a relationship that caused some delegates to boo President Barack Obama during the 2007 Representative Assembly in Philadelphia.  Secretary Duncan alluded to this uneasy relationship today when he joked, “You can boo.  Just don’t throw a shoe.”  And there were a few boos, although not many, during Secretary Duncan’s initial speech.

Secretary Duncan continued by supporting the need to use tests to measure the performance of individual teaching staff, “To remove test scores from teacher evaluation is illogical.”  Duncan continued by supporting expansion of charter schools and merit pay.  As Duncan notes, “We need dramatic change.  This is our moonshot.  This is the civil rights issue of our generation.”  As Duncan continued, it was clear that he was attempting to soften his rather tough speech with conciliatory language.  And it was clear that most association members did their best to applaud areas of commonality rather than responding negatively to the very clear disagreements.

In this vein, Secretary Duncan noted the need to improve administrators in the nation’s school systems, “Failing schools suffer from poor leadership and poor leadership drives away good teachers.”  Duncan noted that districts in this spiral need dramatic change, “There is so much urgency and so much need.”  Duncan also noted that charter schools need better administrative practices, “Charter schools need to police themselves.”  One must note the careful language in that quote, as Duncan describe the need for self-policing rather than a heavy government hand in reforming the many failing charter schools.

Duncan encouraged members of the NEA to work with the Obama Administration on school reform, “You and I must be willing to change.  We cannot be focused on job security and tenure.”  But Duncan also promised that the Obama Administration would not unilaterally imposed changes to collective bargaining and teacher compensation systems, “We are not going to impose reform.  We will work with teachers.”  That said, Duncan was strong in his call for teacher’s unions to change, “I believe that teacher’s unions are at a crossroads.”

There was much discussion among the assembled educators about how the union should respond to this call for difficult reform from an ostensibly friendly Democratic administration.  There definitely was sentiment to boo and demonstrate clear union displeasure about Duncan’s plans.  During most recent issues of controversy, the NEA’s practice has been to attempt to discourage clear forms of protest in favor of quiet, steady lobbying.  However, some leaders that I spoke with took a decidedly hands-off approach on these new issues of reform.  I even heard that some NEA and MEA lobbying staff believed that the Obama Administration would push reform whether the unions liked it or not.  The belief is widespread that the Obama Administration would try to steamroll the union on these issues.  And there is historical evidence to support this.  During the 2008 election, Obama was clear in not criticizing merit pay, charter schools and tenure reform programs.  Obama sent surrogates to the 2008 convention rather than appearing live himself.  And, of course, the appointment of Duncan sent a charge through the NEA membership. 

I discussed this potential for boos with Ed Sarpolus, the long-time Michigan political pollster and current member of the Michigan Education Association’s lobbying staff.  He expressed his belief that booing would be counterproductive.  He believes that differences of opinion must be worked through in normal, quiet channels rather than on the floor of a very public event.  And this is probably a good strategy.  Obama often cited the boos that he received at the 2007 convention when speaking to more conservative audiences and when trying to place distance between himself and the positions of unions.

However, unions are still a very important part of the Democratic constituency, especially in industrial and midwestern swing states.  It will be a challenge for Obama to implement these changes and still keep educational unions motivated to work for his reelection in 2012.  One wonders whether Obama might be viewing the unions as paper tigers, large in numbers and funding, but organizations that can’t really leave the Democratic coalition given the alternatives.  But it is clear that Obama is taking a big risk by taking on educational reform efforts.  The polls are generally supportive nationally of some reform schemes.  But past reform efforts like No Child Left Behind, test score schemes, charter schools and merit pay have had limited success in many real world situations.  If Obama is successful and these programs work out, he will gain a major plank during his future reelection campaign.  However, he is clearly putting the support of a major supportive constituency in play.  That could backfire bigtime if his current broad coalition eventually weakens.