From: Subject: WorldNetDaily: Homosexual agenda
promoted by NEA? Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 09:18:42 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0009_01C3688E.6136EC60"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0009_01C3688E.6136EC60 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23329 WorldNetDaily: Homosexual agenda<br> promoted by = NEA?
This is a=20 WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which = follows.=20
To view this item online, visit=20 http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=3D23329 =

=20

Thursday, June 21, 2001

BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
Homosexual=20 agenda
promoted by NEA?
Members oppose = teachers'=20 union's proposed resolution as 'too volatile'

By Julie=20 Foster

=A9 2001 WorldNetDaily.com =

With the National Education=20 Association's annual convention just around the corner, at = least one=20 state affiliate is making waves by opposing the union's proposed = new=20 homosexual-rights resolution.=20

The proposal would consolidate and amend three separate = resolutions=20 previously adopted by the NEA =96 one of the nation's largest and = most=20 powerful unions. Resolutions B-7, B-9 and C-27 all deal with = diversity,=20 including the acceptance of homosexuals as public school = employees,=20 accurate portrayal of "diverse groups" in curricula and = "acceptance and=20 appreciation =85 of members of diverse populations."=20

Known internally as the "New B" resolution, the strongly worded = proposal slated to be considered at the NEA's conference next = month reads=20 in its entirety:=20

The National Education Association recognizes that the = complex and diverse needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, = transgender, and=20 questioning students; and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and = transgender=20 families and their children require the development of programs = that=20 promote a safe and inclusive environment.=20

The Association believes in efforts that provide for:=20

a. Development of curriculum and instructional materials and = programs=20 designed to meet the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and = transgender=20 students=20

b. Involvement of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender = educators=20 in developing educational materials used in classroom = instruction=20

c. Dissemination of programs that support gay, lesbian, = bisexual,=20 transgender, and questioning students and address the high = drop-out=20 rate, suicide rate, and health risk behaviors=20

d. Recognition of the importance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, = and=20 transgender education employees as role models=20

e. Accurate portrayal of the roles and contributions of gay, = lesbian,=20 bisexual, and transgender people throughout history=20

f. Dissemination of programs and information that include the = contributions, heritage, culture, and history of gay, lesbian, = bisexual,=20 and transgender people=20

g. Coordination with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender=20 organizations and concerned agencies that promote the = contributions,=20 heritage, culture, history, health and care of gays, lesbians,=20 bisexuals, and transgender people.

The proposed resolution was developed by the national NEA = resolutions=20 committee, in which all 50 state affiliates are represented. But = at least=20 one state affiliate of the NEA has officially opposed the New B=20 resolution. Oklahoma Education=20 Association President Carolyn Crowder told The Oklahoman that = other=20 NEA resolutions already address discrimination, while the latest=20 proposal's wording is "too volatile and could be interpreted as = promoting=20 a social agenda."=20

At its annual meeting in April, OEA members approved a measure = calling=20 for the withdrawal of the resolution before the national = convention next=20 month.=20

"After a thorough hearing on the proposal, they determined the = language=20 could give the impression that our organization was going beyond=20 supporting nondiscrimination to supporting a social agenda. = Therefore,=20 they took a position as a group to ask the NEA Resolutions = Committee to=20 delete the language before it is considered by the NEA = Representative=20 Assembly this summer," Crowder explains on the OEA website.=20

But the state was outvoted, and the resolution will go before = NEA=20 committees the week of July 2-7 at the Los Angeles Convention = Center. If=20 approved by committee, the convention's 9,000 delegates = representing 2.3=20 million union members will vote on adoption of the language, which = could=20 be changed during what the NEA describes as a "wide-open = democratic=20 process."=20

OEA leadership said the process leading up to the convention = has been=20 "very fair" and that other state NEA leaders across the nation = support her=20 state's position.=20

NEA spokeswoman Kathleen Lyons said she is not in a position to = know=20 the views state and local affiliates have taken, if any, on the = New B=20 resolution. At the national convention, delegates vote = individually and=20 not by state or local affiliation, she explained. Any state can = move to=20 amend the resolution during the process at the Representative = Assembly,=20 and any delegate has a right to speak during deliberations -- a = process,=20 Lyons said, in which the union prides itself.=20

Some observers of the NEA, however, believe the union's = leadership is=20 acting contrary to the wishes of rank-and-file members.=20

"What we have is really the NEA as a national organization = going in its=20 own direction and leaving its membership behind," said Dick = Carpenter,=20 education analyst for Focus on the=20 Family.=20

Carpenter speculated that NEA leadership would say it is merely = doing=20 its job =96 providing leadership on a controversial issue. But he = said the=20 union "is pretty out of the mainstream on this issue and on other = issues=20 as well."=20

The union is "trying to assist homosexual organizations and = promoting a=20 particular belief system that is not necessarily widely held in = the public=20 and not necessarily even in their own membership," Carpenter = continued.=20

The fact that a state chapter of the organization has gone = public with=20 its opposition to the national group's proposal "is evidence that = they are=20 not representing their membership, clearly," he said, adding that = he gets=20 the impression New B will not pass. "The current language is not = great,=20 but the new language is deplorable."=20

While the NEA's resolutions do not directly effect policy = changes --=20 they are merely statements of philosophical belief -- the union = members'=20 collective might often carries weight in legislative arenas.=20

Pointing to evidence of that political clout, Carpenter = remarked,=20 "There are 2.6 million public school teachers. In the NEA, there = are 2.3=20 million public school teachers. You do the math."=20

Additionally, a June=20 6 report in Education Week explores a new program to implement = education policy changes in collective bargaining agreements. The = program=20 is being implemented through a pilot project of the Teacher Union = Reform=20 Network, which is a network of local teachers unions from the = NEA and=20 the American Federation of = Teachers. TURN is=20 "aimed at uniting progressive urban labor leaders around a = reform-oriented=20 agenda focused on improving student achievement," according to the = Broad Foundation, = which is=20 funding the project. Four school districts are participating in = the pilot=20 project, including Rochester, N.Y., Montgomery County, Md., = Toledo, Ohio=20 and San Francisco, Calif.=20

According to Education Week, the program has met with = resistance. Some=20 rank-and-file union members maintain that teachers' groups should = stick to=20 bread-and-butter issues, and others argue that using contract = talks to=20 settle educational policy questions could set a dangerous = precedent.=20

Participants in the new Broad-funded initiative counter that = labor=20 agreements already serve as important policy documents by spelling = out=20 salary scales and grievance procedures. Plus, because contracts = are=20 binding, they can protect a policy agenda from the future whims of = local=20 leaders.=20

But locking public schools into what amounts to a "social = agenda"=20 through collective bargaining agreements is a step backwards for = public=20 education, many union members and parents believe.=20

Protesting such an agenda at the NEA's annual convention will = be the=20 California-based Capitol Resource Institute. In conjunction with = Focus on=20 the Family, CRI has planned a rally for local protesters and = members of=20 the public to take place July 3 outside the Los Angeles Convention = Center.=20

The NEA reviews all of its existing and proposed resolutions at = its=20 annual convention, including resolution B-68, which states the = union's=20 position that "home schooling programs cannot provide the student = with a=20 comprehensive education experience." B-68 expresses the = "long-standing=20 position of the association," Lyons=20 told WND in September. Speaking generally to the issue of = public=20 versus private schools, Lyons said, "It's our feeling that public = schools=20 are the best choice for parents. What we want to do is to ensure = that that=20 truth is more than our belief -- that it is a fact."=20

Related story:=20

NEA=20 vs. home schools=20

Julie Foster is a = contributing=20 reporter for WorldNetDaily.=20

------=_NextPart_000_0009_01C3688E.6136EC60 Content-Type: image/gif Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/images/WND.logo.116x19.gif R0lGODlhdAATAOYAAP///wAAAMalSsSjRd3d3err7jw8PB0dHQsKCpubm9O2bbu7u/fz5zY2NoqK ikFBQcKfP8+wY42NjfT09CQkJMvLy3t7e9a+fGNjY+Pj46+vr9XV1S0tLdC0Z82tXenctm1tbda9 dsusV/n160lJSRcXF2EAAMTExEVFRfkAAvPkuf379ufZs3Z2doaGhu7kx8cAALOzs3QAAunWsyEh IeDc3FVVVWZmZtzHjvTn1Jqamrm5ufv38evful1dXfLo0uDLmMkAAH0AAM6vYHZER8CbNvs6M8/P z9/f38mpT/MAAZeXl+/v7xEREfxPVuGPiujn56sAAHh2dqWlpXcwNPv35/1WVP3Bw/juzcG/v1YA A4mJicinT1JRUfYbHvPs2f/X1m8lIzExMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5 BAAAAAAALAAAAAB0ABMAAAf/gACCg4SFhoeIiYqLjI2OAZABWwFIADoBjpmam5ycTilBJoULDgAL NKU2NJ2sra6ZV0YpMDJhhKSmDmJMNiiCUJEVgpEUgi2RmsiGkQVFEM+DLM8QiyMMDCPDkdsgi1Ze SlEmWsi4pDc3Or7aAT7smAAlyo+Qh8wDAvkigh/5A4sR8nV4t61eIjCzZJggUq4UqSNNAKwDgEDZ NnZdkhksdC9fvmz9BPxTFFDAQAAFUyp6IsQEFQLzFElApuEiSkgZAMyE1E2QgZ8AGgSwoKxCRQ43 AxTA5/FfyJEAgIgU8UFQCC76QmCJdEAQCJsZhELiQABAjAcPDMCEROKnAUEn/9wSQvZgm4YMyFLC iyQvgBRkMfQqZerxx1NBEDz6A0A4nwqug1xEcrGz4I4EkdYGqGmQAiQEcyFtgOQ5wAOiARD0DSC2 XspjriO1Hpwvib8ei5mG+OIhn4IZvQV4mFEF8qBIJCJpCArpAGZINfKKTnqCUGnYPrhCmsKMXVJ4 SZMWYLfUN1MFixcLwvev5Enj7JBa//w8gOZ4kB5MiAlgR3NIJ8wWwH4bRXJCJDmxcx95562gmEgv NDUAU+0JxE5XguDFE3MFIVDffRVEgloxHF1UWWzgRTLaRkkRmCIk5QmgAABDKDZAhPlcoOOOALh3 4XHMbMMBBvRlZlFBZZWIjNaGkLwViQQAhIhiaJhEkkCUHcm4XlOMiUTICoKUNJJgwShDZGofKpOc TYWsadA2GwBwZkHFxITMAYLFOCMAOHApgj8KTChABACEoNhjZBawommooWlkgZE8cIhmGLJpQEGV snhkSnoOQqEgwfnjgSA8EIZoSqAR1Fp90UEKyQSIECDreADIKmshS2AgAayC2EqIr4JogMFyvl6D zSA8GEsICziwYEgOPeSwgq220kpIFhi4AKutE/jqqwWNgvfKuOSWm0hBUJqr7rrkCsnuu/ByUoC1 hQQCADs= ------=_NextPart_000_0009_01C3688E.6136EC60--