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| President's perspective: From academic freedom to Medicare May 26, 2005
It's called the "Academic Bill of Rights" or, in some circles, the "Student Bill of Rights." But, despite the virtuous implications inherent in either of these names, it's an orchestrated and dangerous attack on academic freedom and a serious threat to the professional lives of our colleagues in higher education. The proposal is the brainchild of right-wing ideologue David Horowitz, who has organized support among student groups and conservatives across the nation. These supporters contend progressive and liberal college faculty members try to impose their views on students and that conservative professors and students are disparaged. Predictably, many of the ultra-conservative voices that dominate the media have joined the chorus. The antidote offered by supporters is an outrageous policy that would actually set quotas for the number of conservative faculty members on campuses. They want state lawmakers to pass legislation enforcing this policy. While Horowitz and company have, so far, failed to garner widespread support on campuses or in state capitols, they have found pockets of success, and NYSUT members from CUNY, SUNY and our community colleges are not taking this threat lightly. I had the opportunity to attend United University Professions' recent Delegate Assembly in Albany; meet with leaders of the Professional Staff Congress in New York City; and, on a trip to Long Island, talk to Ellen Schuler Mauk, who represents community colleges on the NYSUT Board of Directors. Our higher ed colleagues are united in their concern that this so-called bill of rights would provide a forum for right-wing politicians and others who seek to impose a political agenda in the classroom. Their sisters and brothers in K-12 and health care agree, overwhelmingly passing a resolution at the NYSUT convention denouncing this destructive proposal. Already, Candace deRussy of the SUNY Board of Trustees tried to get that body to adopt this far-right proposal. Fortunately, some of her more moderate colleagues, prodded by our UUP local, appeared to have beaten back that folly. But Horowitz is well funded, well organized and persistent. And there are others out there who want to impose a political litmus test on academic hiring, on the content of curriculum and on classroom teaching. As UUP President William Scheuerman recently told his members: "Horowitz's real goal is to scare college administrators and faculty so they are less likely to raise tough questions or discuss controversial issues in the classroom. And that's exactly what's happening." I couldn't agree more with Bill's assessment, and NYSUT is pledged to do whatever is needed to stop this assault on academic freedom. Budgets approved Our friends in higher ed — with phone calls and letters to their colleagues throughout the state — were also instrumental in helping NYSUT and other public education advocates pass 83 percent of the school district budgets put to a vote earlier this month. That's slightly higher than the 36-year statewide average. Overall, we're pleased with the results, although we are very concerned by the significantly lower passage rates in some areas, such as Long Island . It's apparent that many of the defeated budgets were victimized by voters who, themselves, feel victimized. The school budgets in those communities paid the price. But the vast majority of New York voters once again demonstrated how much they value education, and that they understand an investment in education is an investment in the future. That investment is paying dividends: A recent Newsweek report showed that 144 of the nation's top public high schools are in New York state, demonstrating that New York 's high schools are among the best in the U.S. And the State Education Department has just released fourth-and eighth-grade test scores that show consistent gains in every corner of the state. Meanwhile, once again, NYSUT proved that its strength is in its solidarity. Not only did our higher ed colleagues help bolster support for local K-12 budgets, but Randi Weingarten and the United Federation of Teachers in New York City activated members who live on Long Island and the downstate suburbs in support of school budgets and pro-education board candidates. In addition, the NYSUT Board of Directors has created a task force to identify "best practices" that locals can use to build support for their districts' budgets. These strategies will be expanded and shared, with the goal of increasing the passage rate each year. So, thanks to all NYSUT members in all our diverse professions for your support on May 17. And thanks for the continued commitment to excellence and professionalism that you bring to your workplace — be it a classroom, school bus, office, campus or health care facility — every single day. Dose of health care reality As you can see from the cover of this New York Teacher, NYSUT was prominent at a rally for nurses held this month at the state Capitol. The rally called for an end to mandatory overtime, an issue that affects not only our members, but also their patients. The union's health care leaders are also working closely with our national affiliate in Washington, D.C., the American Federation of Teachers, to get Congress to pull the plug on the bad medicine that the Bush administration has prescribed for the nation's Medicare system. With the ill-advised prescription drug plan looming next year — enrollment is set to begin in November — it's imperative that we exert pressure to expose the failures in this plan. While some of our retired members may benefit, at least initially, under the Bush plan, for too many others, it's wrought with problems. The plan won't significantly help retirees who have no insurance and could, in fact, hurt those from districts that currently offer strong drug coverage. Some NYSUT retirees would actually end up paying more for their prescriptions and these higher costs won't necessarily cover all drugs. NYSUT and other organizations concerned about this issue are supporting legislative attempts to provide alternatives, including a bill in Congress that would legalize the purchase of drugs from other countries (the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act) and a bill in the state Legislature (the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program) that would let the state coordinate bulk purchasing of drugs. Both bills are designed to bring down drug costs and expand coverage. While union lobbyists continue to press for a more rational and equitable prescription drug plan, our members can help by calling lawmakers in support of the NYSUT-backed alternatives. To support the congressional legislation, call members of the Senate and House at (877) 331-1223. To support the legislation pending in Albany, call your state representatives through the AFL-CIO Action Line at (877) 255-9417. The calls are toll free, and very important. |
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