The Education Wonks
What are the members-only discussion boards like? I couldn't tell whether folks could talk about anything, or just the three highlighted topics.
I see that the message boards area is called "NEA Voices". Is this a new area since your suggestion, or did you suggest the name since they have that message board area already?
The NEA does have something:
http://www.nea.org/voices/index.html
This is not a proper blog, per se, but does appear to offer a forum for feedback. I have no idea how tightly moderated this is.
But considering the sheer size of the NEA, I wouldn't want to be the one managing such a blog. The message board format might be a better choice for them. Altho is might be kind of cool if members could get their own sites blogrolled.
dick
NEA Voices has been around, I'm not sure for how long.
About the message board:
The problem is that NEA hides this feature behind a firewall, and even then the button to access it is placed near the bottom of the page. To even view the messages, one has to undergo a registration process that requires the sending of membership information.
In other words, the general public (and media) cannot even view the discussion, much less participate.
The result is that these message boards don't see much use.
Viewers cannot begin new discussion threads, so whoever moderates (they're unnamed) controls the subjects permitted for discussion. Most threads aren't active, with many not being updated since since last year.
There are no threads that discuss the NEA itself, its governance, policies, or political endorsements.
There is a forum called, the "National Directory of Successful Multicultural Diversity Day Programs."
So I guess the expression of concerns over the governance of the organization is stopped before it can begin.
I guarantee in that if NEA sponsors a comments-enabled blog that it would get many more readers and a whole lot more input by commenters.
And this surprises you? It shouldn't.
I'm impressed someone even got close enough to Massa Reg to ask a question about blogs.
You know, it just dawned on me. The NEA is run a lot more like a plantation than the House of Representatives, and you know what I mean.
I'm not surprised at all. Wern't they still using slate boards, 8mm film projectors and those new-fangled filmstrip projectors the last time edubureaucratic parasites such as o'Reggie were in a real classroom ? He is only the President of the Largest Teachers union in the Free World, he cannnot be expected to up on the latest technology. There are too many other things to do, such as plan his next junket for Congressional democrats, decide what to have for lunch at the NEA Cafe, and figure out his campaign strategy for his next re-election at the next NEA People's Assembly, opps, I mean Convention in Orlando. AND, if he should spend a few extra days at Epcot Center/Disneyworld takin' care of vitally important NEA business.
(yes, this IS sarcastic)
Well, the caca hit the fan at my school this week, as several people started to question the expenditures on non-education related political causes. There's a bunch of people ready to bolt the NEA.
They have got to snap out of it. The disconnect at the top will only lead to hurting teachers at the local level.
I disagree, Ms. Cornelius. If I thought that the NEA had any value at the local level, I'd reconsider my own resignation.
Right now I'm paying 51% of what the "regular dues-paying member" pays to the NEA and there's only one thing I want them doing, and that's working to have the Windfall Elimination Provision repealed. But since all the NEA's eggs are in 1 basket, and that basket is not the basket in power in Washington right now, the NEA has effectively shut us out of anything at the national level for the past 5 years--and for 3 more. So I don't get my wish of having the WEP repealed.
Yet NEA still gets 51% of the money they want from me, and I have no say in the matter. Amazing.
Right now I pay GAE, the Georgia Assocation of Educators, $33.00 per month. For that fee I get to have all kinds of junk mail from the NEA. I get a "subscribe to magazines" or "life insurance" advertisement at least twice a week. The only reason I'm a member is for the liability insurance. I certainly don't always agree with the eduspeak printed in the magazines I receive.
I guess Reggie doesn't read NEA's publications then, seeing as how their magazine had a whole article on blogging a few months ago.
I hate the NEA. They are worthless. I wish I had all my money back, but they used it long ago to buy wall art, carpeting, and senators, NONE of which were of any use to me. Just like the NEA.
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