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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA. « Fred Klonsky

An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA. « Fred Klonsky:


An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA.

Q: How are you holding up?
A: I’m tired. These are long days. But I’m out of here after the morning caucus. I’m longing for the 101 degree heat of Chicago instead of the 101 degree heat of DC.
Q: Were you surprised that your NBI supporting the Chicago Teachers Union passed so easily?
A: Oh, yes. I think I way underestimated how much teachers around the country are following events in Chicago. I think it helped that the IEA leadership supported it right away and that the Illinois caucus voted support almost unanimously. I’m thrilled that there is unity among all the teacher unions in the state over this.
It was pretty cool watching the state flags that direct, or advise I should say, delegates how to vote start springing up green as I was speaking. An unforgettable moment personally.
Q. Why did the delegates reject an NBI calling for firing Arne Duncan and that called for opposing Race to the Top. I thought the NEA delegates were pretty hostile to Duncan.
A. It is interesting that these are really the very same delegates that voted for the NBI last year that laid out the