Tucson elementary school teacher and prominent Red for Ed activist Wes Oswald derided school choice in a Twitter video posted earlier this week. In addition to teaching the third grade at Manzo Elementary School in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) and his Red for Ed activity, Oswald has been active in Arizona Educators United (AEU) and Save Our Schools (SOS) Arizona.
Oswald claimed that private schools aren’t held to the “same high measure” as public schools. He insinuated that taxpayer dollars mostly funded private and religious schools through vouchers.
“Vouchers really are just coupons frequently used by the wealthy to send their kids to private schools at a discounted rate,” said Oswald. “Let’s stop falling for school choice schemes. The vast majority of American families choose to send their kids to public schools. Our public tax dollars belong to public schools, not private and religious ones.”
Oswald also claimed that 95 percent of Arizona families “choose” public schools. Recent polling suggested otherwise: according to Data Orbital, over 80 percent of 600 Arizonans polled supported school choice.
According to recent research by the Goldwater Institute, Arizona’s K-12 public schools are more expensive than a four-year university: over $14,300 per student annually when combining state, local, and federal dollars, versus the cost of over $11,300 for higher education tuition.
AZ Free News attempted to contact Oswald to ask why he opposed ; however, his TUSD email appeared to be disconnected, and we couldn’t reach him for comment by press time.
Who else is in the Sunday morning church of #RequestToSpeak? ??♂️@AZCEBVus, thanks for shedding light on these bills, many of which are designed to disenfranchise voters and demoralize public schools. Lots of no votes this week. Join in: https://t.co/UVOkmnYB7Hhttps://t.co/aPriNaKTcy
During the 2018 election, Oswald was featured by Tucson News Now for his “Knoctober” initiative, where Red For Ed supporters attempted to knock on 80,000 doors statewide to campaign for their preferred, pro-public school candidates. In several of the clips, Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Superintendent Kathy Hoffman could be seen knocking doors and giving presentations alongside Red for Ed activists. Hoffman was campaigning for her current office at the time.
“We’re all banking on big change in November. We’ve already come this far — we had 75,000 people walk out in April, and we can’t come this close and just give up,” said Oswald.
Several years later, Oswald was a featured speaker for ADE’s event last April, “The Health of Our Democracy: Civics Here and Now,” as part of the “Educating For American Democracy Initiative.”
Around the same time, Oswald lamented to KGUN about handling the challenges of in-person teaching with some students learning remotely. Oswald has been opposed to in-person learning when any increase in COVID-19 cases occurs.
I wear black in solidarity with educators across AZ who were called back to the classroom for in-person teaching today despite our state leading the world in daily COVID infections. #RIPMetrics#DrawTheLinepic.twitter.com/n4B8PmC5zq
Governor Doug Ducey’s State of the State Address focused on the positives when it came to Arizona, largely reserving criticism for the Biden Administration and federal government as a whole. The governor referenced COVID-19 a mere three times in his hour-long speech, not once mentioning case numbers, death tolls, health care workers, recovery, safety protocols, relief funding, or the like — indicating that the focus in the final year of his administration will concern all but COVID-19 mitigation.
The governor made several explicit promises: a budget published on Friday, further tax cuts, a K-12 learning loss summer camp program, expungement of critical race theory from classrooms, increased resources for foster care families, crackdown on government abuse such as charging victims to process rape kits, and expedited plans of the I-10 expansion.
The governor also announced a five-step plan to address the border crisis; 1) increased funding to the Arizona Border Strike Force and border counties; 2) increased criminal penalties for human traffickers; 3) the American Governor’s Border Strike Force, a novel alliance with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and their top law enforcement; 4) building the remainder of the border wall; 5) a sort of strike in which U.S. senators refuse to vote “yes” on any legislation until President Joe Biden builds the border wall, installs virtual border surveillance, increases funding to local communities harmed by the border crisis, and clarifies to illegal immigrants that the border isn’t open. For that last point, Ducey suggested that Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) take advantage of draft legislation he provided on his website.
Ducey requested the legislature take up certain initiatives: establishing a program to waive the tuition of military spouses, similar to Texas’ Hazlewood Act; requiring searchable online publication of all K-12 curriculum and academic materials; school choice expansion such as through greater open enrollment, new transportation, more charter schools; . Ducey shared that public safety would be a top priority within the budget, with proposals such as making state troopers the highest paid law enforcement statewide.
The governor stated that his administration’s successes manifested as small business liability reform, wildfire solutions and funding, tribal gaming compact modernization to increase revenue streams, school choice, record funding for infrastructure, near-total COVID-19 vaccination of the state’s 65-and-older population, telemedicine, the lowest flat tax nationwide with the largest tax cut in state history, new regulation moratorium, improved foster care system, a border strike force to handle cartels and crime,
“[A]nyone who has ever worked with me will attest: I have a hard time stopping to celebrate victory,” said Ducey.
The governor highlighted how the state budget was underwater by $1 billion when he assumed office, caused by the recession and what Ducey called “out-of-control spending” and “budget shellgames.” He reminded those present that money was so tight the state government sold the deed to the state capitol.
Ducey reported a current surplus amounting to billions of dollars, a portion of which helped the state buy the capitol’s deed back several years ago. Likewise, he recalled how most job availability just prior to his administration was found in construction and call centers due to national perception of Arizona as a “flyover state” to Texas; Ducey explained that the state has since greatly diversified its job market.
“Now, because of our combined work, we have an all-of-the-above approach on jobs. Not just call centers but also car manufacturers, autonomous vehicles, tech start-ups and world-class semiconductors,” said Ducey. “We said we wanted to be a jobs juggernaut, and in the process, we became a paycheck paradise. Plus, unlike California, Illinois and New York, here you actually get to keep your paycheck.”
Ducey detailed how he dedicated himself to “shrink a government and grow an economy.” In addition to improvements in the unseen, like flow of state cash, Ducey pointed out that he’d reduced government size to a point where 750,000 square feet of government buildings have been demolished during his administration. The governor also emphasized that his focus for his final year would be to offset the living costs caused by Biden Administration policies.
“It’s really not that complicated; it’s just basic common sense. Government takes in more than it needs to pay the bills, and the taxpayer should get to keep his or her hard-earned dollars,” declared Ducey.
Ducey stated his decision to reject certain unemployment benefits deemed unnecessary, criticizing the Biden Administration for incentivizing people to not work.
“That’s not the Arizona way,” said Ducey. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch or free money. Instead we will focus on rewarding hard work.”
Concerning the border, Ducey warned that President Joe Biden and his administration are working against Arizona. The governor lobbed criticisms at Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Vice President Kamala Harris for keeping a cool distance from their duty to solve the crisis.
Ducey called out Attorney General Merrick Garland directly for focusing on one incident within the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) while handling Black Lives Matter (BLM) unrest.
“If you are an elected official charged with overseeing a police department and you don’t believe there’s a correlation between the attacks on law enforcement and rising crime rates nationally, you need a reality check because you’re putting public safety and human life at risk. We intend to keep Arizona a place where we honor and value our cops and all of law enforcement, including correctional officers and first responders. A place where public safety matters. No riots. No smash and grab. And a news flash for the DOJ and Merrick Garland: Mr. Attorney General, instead of attacking Police Chief Jeri Williams and her officers for risking their lives and keeping Arizona streets safe during civil unrest, your time would be better spent protecting the federal courthouses in Portland, Seattle and San Francisco. Do your job.”
While on the subject of different approaches to governance, the governor also addressed the massive influx of blue-state transplants, calling it the “good problem” of growth. He chalked the migration to discomfort with Democratic policies leading to issues such as higher taxes and stricter COVID-19 regulations.
For the transplants, Ducey had one specific message.
“Don’t forget why you came here in the first place. Freedom, opportunity, and good government matter,” said Ducey.
In regard to K-12 education, Ducey asserted that the state legislature under the previous administration was more interested in maxing out expenditures than quality of education. Ducey also placed blame with those school boards and unionists for imposing COVID-19 policy that did more harm to children than good. With that, the governor insisted on the importance of school choice, especially for the poorer and minority children. Ducey likened teachers unions and their supporters to Civil Rights-era politicians barring minority children from entering schools.
“Fifty-plus years ago politicians stood in the schoolhouse door and wouldn’t let minorities in, today union-backed politicians stand in the schoolhouse door and won’t let minorities out,” said Ducey. “Many of our poor kids and children of color are trapped in a failing school. It’s time to set these families free.”
As for current issues the state faces, Ducey highlighted a “massive” backlog of untested rape kits, some of which his administration cleared up only to discover government abuse in the form of bureaucrats charging victims up to $800 in processing charges and sending collections agencies after the victims if not paid. The governor also broached the subject of drought mitigation and water supply, proposing a $1 billion investment in Mexico for desalination technology.
In closing, Ducey dismissed doubts of little to no progress due to a divided legislature and the upcoming midterm elections. His final remarks centered the focus for his last year as governor.
“As you see, as much progress as we’ve made – there’s plenty left to do on so many fronts,” said Ducey. “And we’ll have all year to grind it out together: a continued focus on the health of our citizens, and support for our hospitals, and dedicated healthcare workers; investments in cyber security to protect the identity and data of our citizens; improvements to our elections, to bring confidence and security; better broadband connectivity all across rural Arizona; more efforts to prevent wildfires; maintaining Arizona’s position as the number one pro-second amendment state in the nation; protecting life in every way possible; and all along the way, preparing for another Super Bowl, where our beautiful state will be center stage just a year from now.”
By now, you’re probably fed up with talking about school shutdowns. And frankly, we’re getting fed up with fighting the left on this issue. But leave it to the teachers’ unions and RedforEd to call for more school shutdowns right before students returned from their winter break.
While death of any sort is heartbreaking, these numbers prove that COVID is no more dangerous for children than the seasonal flu. But the teachers’ unions and RedforEd just can’t help themselves—because, as usual, it’s always about them.
Teachers’ unions appear to have run into a buzz saw. On October 25, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten tweeted enthusiastic support for a Washington Post article titled “Parents claim they have the right to shape their kids’ school curriculum. They don’t.”
By November 6, her message had drastically changed. “Parents have to be involved in their kids’ education. They must have a voice. At the same time, we have to teach kids how to—not what to—think.” Sure, Randi.
In the interval, there had been a reality shock: the Virginia governor’s election, this time with an electorate that had wised up. Parents had been appalled when they remotely observed the overtly racist curriculum their children were being taught and then shocked at the blowback, including being charged with “white supremacy,” when they protested.
Moreover, they now realized the unions were responsible for the damaging school COVID shutdowns. Weingarten herself pressured legislatures and school districts into closures. Unions influenced the Biden CDC into adding new and impossible conditions for reopening. They threatened outright strikes if school districts tried to reopen for the 2020-2021 school year.
Voters were not amused. When Terry McAuliffe vowed, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” the damage was done. Polls showed challenger Glenn Youngkin gaining 15-17 points among parents in the last weeks of the campaign. Education-oriented voters swung from favoring McAuliffe by 33 points to a nine-point Youngkin advantage.
Weingarten’s response was that the reports had all been a massive misunderstanding, that it was actually the teachers’ unions that had tried to reopen the schools. Her pathetic gaslighting attempts were ignored.
The longtime symbiotic relationship between the teachers’ unions and the Democrats may be fraying. They both earn the other’s loyalty. According to OpenSecrets, 99.72% of the AFT contributions in 2020 went to Democrats. Fully 97% of AFT donations have gone to Democrats since 1990.
In Virginia, McAuliffe bagged $1 million from the unions. AFT ran ads for McAuliffe, and Weingarten personally stumped for him.
Their money isn’t wasted. As governor, McAuliffe had vetoed nine school choice bills. This year, he affirmed on CNN, “I will never allow [school choice] as governor.” Nationwide, Democrats have been able to stymie the movement for universal school choice in spite of growing majorities in favor.
The Democrats are in a sticky situation now. According to RealClearOpinion research, voters’ support for school choice surged from 64% to 74% in just the last year. Another poll showed 78% approve of Education Savings Accounts, the most comprehensive method for funding parental choice directly.
Voters have expressed particular contempt for politicians (and educators) who send their own children to private schools but deny the same privilege to less fortunate children. 62% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for such a hypocrite.
Terry McAuliffe, for one, got the message. The veto king sent his five children to private schools. When asked about it on NBC this year, his verbatim quote was “Chuck, we have a great school system in Virginia. Dorothy and I have raised our five children.” You’ve gotta love it.
Democrats are stuck with a policy that is not only morally and educationally wrong but is a political loser. Advocates for children and parents should seize the opportunity to not only win some elections but to fundamentally reform the structure of education in America into a system that serves students and parents, not bureaucracies.
Teachers’ unions must be publicly held accountable. These organizations which relentlessly pound a “for the children” theme have a wretched record of not promoting their educational interests.
In the 1960s, when the unions first rose to influence, about $3,000 (inflation-adjusted) dollars were spent per student. Today, that number is over $13,000. Yet academic achievement and the ethnic gap have stubbornly failed to improve.
Not all of the spending increase has gone to teacher salaries, and not all of the fault for academic failure is theirs. But as the dominant influence in education policy for the last half-century, unions must bear major responsibility for the dismal outcomes.
Parents’ rights advocates: take heart. This is our time.
Most of the attention of our nation’s businesses entities is focused on attempts to win government favors. That’s typical of political economies sliding into corruption mode.
America’s unions have been a big winner of the competition. They poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Democratic campaigns. Their bet paid off when Democrats swept the presidency and both houses of Congress. Not only that, ole’ Scranton Joe is a longtime friend.
So White House favors have flowed in a torrent. For example, a new law mandates union labor on virtually all federal projects, automatically adding 20 to 30% to the cost. There is also a provision making union dues tax deductible, another huge union subsidy.
The Green New Deal is union friendly. A $4500 tax credit is available for electric vehicles only if the car is union made. The $14,500 tax credit for homeowner energy-saving devices also requires the work be done by union members.
Worst of all, the “jobs bill“ would abolish the 26 state right-to-work laws. Tens of millions of workers would be forced to pay union dues and support union political causes.
There are legitimate reasons why workers may decline to join a union. The benefits of membership may not be worth the dues. They may not support the union’s political views.
Especially ambitious or capable workers may not want to be bound by union work rules, promotion and salary schedules, typically designed to protect the weakest performers. Moreover, many workers are repulsed by the 2,100 documented cases of union corruption, including embezzlement, racketeering and inflated salaries.
But it’s no secret that mandatory membership would massively increase union rolls and coffers. Joe Biden may have lied about a few things here and there, but his vow to have “the most pro-union administration in history” meant business.
But if the unions are experiencing a bonanza, how about the rest of us? After all, only 6.3% of private sector workers are union members (about half of government workers are unionized). How do the other 93.7%, and those of us not considered “workers“, fare?
Not that well. You may have heard of the supply chain shortage and the massive backup at our ports. You’ve seen prices rise and empty shelves starting to appear.
In response, President Biden recently announce a “gamechanger”, ordering more hours for the ports. Union work rules regarding off-hours pay make the option a significant burden for the port operators. But it would increase cargo movement by less than 10%, hardly solving the problem.
The dysfunction in America’s ports isn’t news. The World Bank rates LA and Long Beach 328 and 333 worldwide for speed and efficiency. Not one US port was in the top 50.
Here’s the reason. Our ports lack modern technology. Automated cranes and other laborsaving devices operate worldwide over twice as fast as our outdated equipment.
But unions demand the obsolescence to preserve make-work jobs. The International Longshoremen’s Association has a contract blocking the use of automated cargo handling equipment.
Biden could take action, but he won’t. His Build Back Better bill specially prohibits using any funds for automation.
Government unions, because they needn’t worry about any economic impact on their employer, are even more abusive of the public trust. The main reward for teachers’ union loyalty has been the party’s staunch, enduring opposition to school choice.
School choice for underprivileged children is rightly considered the civil rights issue of our time. Many leading Democrats, like the Obamas, Clintons and Kennedys send their own children to desirable schools but deny the same privilege to millions of children who will be economically handicapped for life by the school they attend.
The teachers’ unions displayed their impressive clout again during the recent pandemic. Long after research data had thoroughly discredited the wisdom, (children were essentially COVID-19 proof), they selfishly kept schools closed. The education fallout is proving to be catastrophic.
Unions historically have played a role in improving the plight of workers. Private sector unions particularly deserve the right to exist, to organize and to be treated fairly. But when the scales are tipped to afford them political benefits not enjoyed by other Americans, we all get hit.
Dr. Thomas Patterson, former Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, is a retired emergency physician. He served as an Arizona State senator for 10 years in the 1990s, and as Majority Leader from 93-96. He is the author of Arizona’s original charter schools bill.
