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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Organized Labor In School Classrooms?

Back in March, I wrote my thoughts about business executives and chambers of commerce activists attending Janesville High Schools under the auspices of Junior Achievement in an effort to restore lost confidence due to corporate scandals in the business world. Junior Achievement felt it was vital to rethink what and how children are taught in order to succeed in a global economy. Apparently though, organized labor is not included among the vitality's of a U.S. global economy.

A bill proposed by Sen. Dave Hansen, D- Green Bay, would require every school district to add organized labor history to their curriculum. The bill of course has its opponents.
Thonline Excerpt:
But groups representing school boards and administrators don't want the state micromanaging their curriculum.
Who exactly are these people representing our taxpayer school board representatives and administrators? And not surprisingly, the GOP also stands against introducing labor ethics and history to school kids.

Since corporatists and globalists have been given the welcome mat in our schools, I see no reason why organized labor leaders and union officials can’t even the score and offer organizational seminars and labor friendly educational sessions in an effort to prepare and inspire our children for the global future, and restore lost support and confidence in worker rights and collective bargaining.

In order to make organized labor the future, the very idea of the audacity of hope must be taught in schools - not something to reminisce about in history books.

2 comments:

Peter said...

This isn't even about evening the score, it's about teaching history and political economy to kids so they understand the world a lot better than what they do now.

I grew up in a fairly middle class household, did well in school, got a college degree. But it wasn't until I took it upon myself to learn some labor history that I really felt like I understood my state and my country as well as what I should. Organized labor helped build this country in both literal and more importantly, figurative ways. All citizens should grow up knowing this. It's just good history.

And to the administrators (hmm...school administrators being anti-union?) saying "stay out of our curriculum," do a better job managing your curriculum and you wouldn't have people clamoring to change it.

Lou Kaye said...

You're right, Pete. It's not about evening the score, but I found it odd how Wisconsin Republicans immediately connected organized labor to democratic party interests but no one seems to find business representatives attending schools as political indocrination.

Secondly, teaching union history is great providing it doesn't end there. It probably should be a "skill" class like "organized labor shop" just like they teach business introductory.

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