(1985) Al Shanker on Education Reform, Working Together

Jean Latz Griffin:

``It is idiotic to have an internal war when we are threatened with extinction from the outside,`` said Shanker. ``We have to work together to improve public schools or the American taxpayers, in their wisdom, will simply go elsewhere.``

Shanker said public educators must do a better job of heeding the warning signs than automakers did.

``American car manufacturers went to Japan 10 years ago and saw what was happening, but they came back and did nothing,`` said Shanker. ``They said that labor and management would have to make too many sacrifices to compete with the Japanese-style factories and predicted that no one would buy those little cars the funny names anyway.``

``We can`t make the same mistake,`` Shanker said. ``Labor and management have to make significant changes, significant sacrifices to keep public education alive. Tinkering will no longer help.``

Shanker, head of the nation`s second largest teachers union for 10 years and its chapter in New York City for 20 years, has reversed several traditional labor stands since a number of national reports criticizing education spawned an education reform movement.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 6, 2012 2:57 AM
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