Seven hundred million dollars ain't what it used to be.

In the last century century (1990's), a $700 million annual increase in state school aid was orgasmic to the teacher unions. To be sure, more than a decade later, the same money doesn't buy as much, but it still makes a dent in what is sure to be a diminishing state funding pie for school aid and every other competing program.

NYSUT's "Bogus" Charter Claims
The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) is now deploying its war chest for a lobbying and ad campaign to derail any meaningful charter school expansion as part of the state's application for federal Race to the Top funding. It's increasingly apparent this is a Trojan Horse for its real agenda: stopping implementation of Race to the Top reforms. It's not worth the money to the unions.

To borrow from NYSUT president Richard Iannuzzi's description of the charter cap for Race to the Top, NYSUT's ad campaign is "bogus."

Simply put: the Obama administration's education agenda is not shared, much less supported, by NYSUT, and not worth the money to the teacher union leadership.

Far fetched? Look at the Buffalo Teachers Federation President, Phil Rumore, head of NYSUT's second largest local. Mr. Rumore, not known for subtlety, made clear to the Buffalo School District last week he wants no part of Race to the Top (unless the money comes through after all, then he'll "negotiate" for it). Perhaps Mr. Rumore is riding that Trojan Horse for his state brethren.

Unionized Charter School Teachers Fleeced Again
NOTE: To unionized charter school teachers: NYSUT's deceitful lobbying and ad campaign is yet another example of your dues payments working against your school - and you. As NYSUT head, Richard Iannuzzi, messaged in the Buffalo News last November: you're outvoted (see here).

Note also that NYSUT wants the charter funding formula changed so that public schools are "fairly funded." Really? Not only do charter schools get less funding to begin with, but last time NYSUT opined on the charter formula, they got the legislature to cut funding to charter schools by $50 million.

We've been down this road before.

Peter Murphy
for The Chalkboard