Some Folks Have a (Really) Hard Time with Change

Speaking of the unions' TRUE thoughts, here's an outrageous quote from the head of the AFT in NY: "It's a conservative, right-wing agenda that is using sort of a hostage-terrorist approach to public service [and] a lot of progressive-minded politicians are feeling that they should be engaged in appeasement... [W]e haven't learned much from history: When you appease terrorists, you get more terrorism. That's what we're seeing."  I've been called many things, but never a terrorist – until now…  Here's NYCSA's Peter Murphy's response:

Some Folks Have a (Really) Hard Time with Change

 

http://blog.nycsa.org/2011/08/some-folks-have-really-hard-time-with.html 

 

Change is hard. So said many a politician trying to tackle problems confronting the state or nation.

The president of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), Richard Iannuzzi, is a tell-tale example of someone having real difficulty with change by showing a dark side.

Yesterday's Associated Press story on the changing landscape of public education was telling. With strengthened accountability and teacher evaluation combined with tightening resources, changes are afoot. On the one hand, Governor Andrew Cuomo is recognizing the "gravitational forces" of change and is in some ways its instigator by his focus on "improving student performance," including his push that gave more teeth to the state Regents evaluation requirements.

Jettisoning Civility: Iannuzzi Lashes Out
On the other hand, the NYSUT president is not handling this well so much so that he described the education policies from Washington and Albany as the "hostage-terrorist approach." AP reporter Mike Gormley quotes Mr. Iannuzzi thus:

"It's a conservative, right-wing agenda that is using sort of a hostage-terrorist approach to public service [and] a lot of progressive-minded politicians are feeling that they should be engaged in appeasement... [W]e haven't learned much from history: When you appease terrorists, you get more terrorism. That's what we're seeing."

Where to begin?! Andrew Cuomo and Barack Obama imitating of Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier? Sure sounds that way from Mr. Iannuzzi's tantrum yesterday to the AP.

Dick Iannuzzi was having more than a bad day; his attacks are way over-the-top and preposterous. The reality is that education reform policies are getting much bipartisan support at the state and federal levels, though differences between left and right remain. Still, there is much consensus on accountability, standards, competition (via charter schools) and other areas, and that teacher union leaders like Mr. Iannuzzi are increasingly fighting this consensus and change.

Confusing Real from Unreal
Mr. Iannuzzi has a right to his opinion, including an embellishment here and there; and as a long-time union head must lead his members as he sees fit. But this latest episode is way beyond the pale. His abuse of vocabulary warrants an apology. He also should embark upon a professional development strand in civility rather than do his imitation of Vice President Joe Biden, who at least assented to the terrorist descriptor of his political opponents behind closed doors rather than blaring them to the AP. (Perhaps Mr. Iannuzzi had one too many trips on Air Force Two.)

As the tenth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks approaches, Mr. Iannuzzi needs to revisit his use of adjectives so as not to confuse what is real terrorism compared to policy disagreements. The gulf between the two is as far as east from west.