Top Dem Donor Says Unions Are Strangling Education

(Victor Joecks/NPRI) – And he wasn’t done. He also said that “Democrats are now on the wrong side of every important education-reform issue.”

Wow.

He’s not from Nevada, but Washington state Democrat Nick Hanauer, who’s donated more than $2.5 million to Democrats since 2001, and other big-time Democratic donors have had enough of the teachers’ union putting adults before children.

Several well-heeled Democratic donors have openly split with the state party and legislative leaders over education reform, arguing Washington is falling behind because lawmakers are afraid to buck the teachers union.

Donors say they fear the Democratic Party could lose ground to Republicans on the issue. Some even say they’re on the fence when it comes to supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna or Democratic candidate Jay Inslee, given the candidates’ stances on education. …

Jabe Blumenthal, a former Microsoft executive and co-president of the Climate Solutions board, said he agrees with much of what Hanauer says, particularly when it comes to the WEA.

“I think the Democratic leadership has allowed themselves to be held hostage by the teachers union,” said Blumenthal who has contributed more than $300,000 to different causes over the years, including Democratic candidates and the state party.

If you read the whole article, you’ll notice that the actions and stances of the Washington Education Association sound suspiciously similar to the Nevada State Education Association.
Every year at the legislature, the NSEA works its hardest to kill education reforms — often while claiming to support reforms “in general.”

It’s great to see more and more Democrats understanding the importance of putting children and education reform before the selfish desires of a special interest group. Let’s hope the number supporting meaningful education reform continues to grow.