AFT Won’t Accept Gates Money, Except When It Does

...that only accounts for half the money AFT has received from Gates. According to Politico, “AFT’s executive council hasn’t formally voted to reject Gates funding for other projects, but Weingarten said she would be very cautious about taking such grants.” Somehow a headline that reads “AFT Shuns Gates Funding” gives a different impression than one that reads “AFT Will Be Very Cautious the Next Time It Accepts Gates Funding.”.... Weingarten said the union will push for a dues increase to offset some of the lost funding. It should give teachers a sense of empowerment to know their money is being used to compensate for the Gates shortfall. Mike Antonucci at EIA.

Mike nails what's really going on despite the salivating at the Ravitch blog over the news that Randi will not take Gates money for the Innovation project but will keep taking it. Here's some news for UFT members -- you don't have the right to vote to approve this dues increase since that decision will be made through the automatic dues increase rule.

UPDATE: Here is the video of the walkout on Gates at the 2010 AFT convention with Randi and Unity taunting them:
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Our pal in Buffalo chimes in.

In the current desperate state of public education we really can't afford sacred cows. Diane Ravitch for all of her upside needs to take a long hard look at the dismal dearth of leadership Randi Weingarten has provided to her members. Ravitch may well be her friend, in fact if I have read that once I have read it a hundred times. That's nice....B-LoEdScene - No Country for Sacred Cows - No Comment From Ravitch by way of Politico : EXCLUSIVE: AFT SHUNS GATES FUNDING:

Yes, Diane left that part out in her post today celebrating Randi's "conversion."

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AFT Won’t Accept Gates Money, Except When It Does

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 10:23 AM PDT

Over the last four years, the American Federation of Teachers has taken more than $10 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Now Randi Weingarten announced AFT will no longer accept Gates money… for the union’s Innovation Fund. But that only accounts for half the money AFT has received from Gates. According to Politico, “AFT’s executive council hasn’t formally voted to reject Gates funding for other projects, but Weingarten said she would be very cautious about taking such grants.”
Somehow a headline that reads “AFT Shuns Gates Funding” gives a different impression than one that reads “AFT Will Be Very Cautious the Next Time It Accepts Gates Funding.”

This is a victory for those who complained that AFT was being compromised by the Gates contributions to the Innovation Fund, but it’s a victory with a price tag. Weingarten said the union will push for a dues increase to offset some of the lost funding. It should give teachers a sense of empowerment to know their money is being used to compensate for the Gates shortfall.