Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his anti-worker,
anti-student policies were sharply criticized at the recent conventions of both
the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
This is a surprising change of tone for organizations that had previously been
key supporters of the administration.
Duncan’s “race to the top” program, which targets woefully
underfunded schools in working-class neighborhoods for privatization, was the
focus of much of the frustration. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel stated in a
speech at the union’s convention, “Today our members face the most
anti-educator, anti-union, anti-student environment I have ever experienced.”
(New York Times, July 4)
The education system in the United States is rife with
extreme inequality. Schools in wealthy areas are well-funded and staffed, while
students and teachers in poor and working-class communities suffer from
completely inadequate resources. A capitalist society will always treat
education unequally or as a commodity when it is in fact a basic human right.
