Mitt Romney Pledges To Push Back Against Teachers Unions

Mitt Romney has pledged to push back against teachers unions as president.

The former Massachusetts governor said on "Fox News Sunday," "But the role I see that ought to remain in the president's agenda with regards to education is to push back against the federal teachers unions." He continued, "Those federal teachers unions have too much power, in some cases, they overwhelm the states, they overwhelm the local school districts. We have got to put the kids first and put these teachers unions behind."

Romney said he would not "necessarily" eliminate the Department of Education, but said that it may combined with agencies and that its "reach" into the states has to be "pulled back."

Romney also criticized teachers unions in the context of the No Child Left Behind Act. "I support the principle of having states test their kids ... I did support No Child Left Behind and do support continuing to test our kids," he said. "I want to know which school districts are succeeding and which ones are failing and where they are failing. I want there to be action taken to get the teacher unions out and to get the kids once again receiving the education they need."

The former Massachusetts governor continued his criticism of unions on Sunday at a town hall meeting in Vernon Hills, Ill. "We should pay our beginning teachers more," he said, according to Crystal Lake Patch. "The national unions are too interested in benefits for the older teachers."

The National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the U.S., has endorsed President Barack Obama for re-election. The American Federation of Teachers followed suit with an endorsement in February.

Comments

[Chris Corcoran]

12:07 AM on 03/27/2012

What purpose do Unions have? How about a living wage, health coverage, a pension, and work place rights. Things ALL Americans deserve.

[jp90]

08:06 PM on 03/26/2012

So the Right hates unions, because they have some political power in terms of the money they spend to back political candidates. However, no problem with large corporate donations as a result of Citizens United, because usually the corporations support the Right. I get it.

[bkhart]

06:58 PM on 03/26/2012

People who can afford private education for their kids are not worried about the quality of education the public receives.

[Indygrl76]

06:38 PM on 03/26/2012

That's it Mitt-- alienate the last few working Americans... good job! Oh... that's right, you don't work for a living... you're in management! So now the Republicans have alienated women, hispanic Americans, african Americans, educated Americans, teachers, union workers, low income Americans that don't have health insurance, Americans who want Medicare and Social Security and... well... who'se left? Oh, that's right, paranoid Tea Partiers and corporate America---right... the far right one percent and the very top one percent... that'll work!

[broui]

11:28 AM on 03/26/2012

Teacher's Unions (Local, State, and National) are democratic bodies. We elect our leaders. They are teachers. We vote to determine what we fight for.

The overwhelming majority of the causes for which we fight are for students. The press rarely, if ever, covers those causes. They only focus on those that involve teachers fighting for themselves.

But even those are often indirectly fighting for students as well.

Smaller class sizes aren't about making it easier for the teacher as much as it is giving each student more time with the teacher. A better standard of living (pay and benefits) directly translates into a less stressed out teacher which then translates into a students population more likely to learn and trust the teacher. And so on.

[stopnlisten]

10:26 AM on 03/25/2012

Romney is against the American dream. It goes against his definition of success.

Most folks want to:
Work hard 40-50 hrs week.
Be able to afford a modest home.
Have a decent car.
Have an occasional vacation.
Save for kid's college.
See their kids grow up.
Enjoy a retirement with no reliance on their children.
Enjoy health benefits and......

Not have the boss fire them at 53 yrs. old because cousin Johnny needs a job!!!

That's what unions are about folks. That's what Romney is against. It impedes the amount of money the executives can suck out of the workers.

[sojourner314]

04:42 PM on 03/25/2012

Sometimes, I wonder what will happen to us. The people that are the backbone of the United States' work force have been thrown into hard times by the very people that always seem to be prospering. It seems to me that the middle class would be respected for carrying the burden of the Nation's support and efforts to maintain a decent living standard. I watched sector after sector being decimated, from farmers to air-traffic controllers, from steel workers to factory workers, from skilled laborers to white collar workers! The heat was gradually turned up. Now, are we expected to do the teachers in? No Child Left Behind didn't work in terms of education, did it? Did I miss something? It seems to be a fast track to prison for young people. Teachers deserve support as well as our attention and scrutiny. Let us not destroy them or allow them to be destroyed. We need to stay awake, don't we?

[mlaiuppa]

04:06 AM on 03/25/2012

How do you put students first and at the same time push teachers to the back. What's the matter Mitt? Are you sorry you can't outsource their jobs to China like you've done time and time again?

That's why the Right hates unions. Unions are the only ones standing between U.S. jobs and those jobs being outsourced to China, India and Mexico.

[Mangez Ma Merde]

11:15 PM on 03/24/2012

The Republican Master Plan:

If we make Americans even more stupid, they will easier to control.

[Mangez Ma Merde]

11:10 PM on 03/24/2012

Mitt "Wrongway" Romney.

Let's make sure that no college educated teacher can afford to send their kids to college!!!!

[mlaiuppa]

04:07 AM on 03/25/2012

And make sure the teacher's kids qualify for free lunch.

[akababs]

11:08 PM on 03/24/2012

So will Matt Damon be supporting the republican candidate since he is so unhappy with president Obama and his stance on teachers? I take it, matt will be happier with mitt.

[stopnlisten]

10:28 AM on 03/25/2012

That's party line thinking. Matt is a Dem. who has a beef with an issue. At least he's not a hypocrite. How many GOP women are standing up for their reproductive rights? I doubt they are all stepford wives.

[Mangez Ma Merde]

11:04 PM on 03/24/2012

The 1% doesn't have enough !!! We deserve more !!!

[uniquindividual]

06:56 PM on 03/24/2012

Did Romney ever attend public school?

[Julie Zhou]

05:19 PM on 03/24/2012

The system is abused by some teachers. Some of my son's teachers constantly take sick leaves and leave their students with the substitute teachers who don't know the curriculum and can not manage the classroom.

[uniquindividual]

06:55 PM on 03/24/2012

Therefore, replacing teachers is not easy.

Do you want the teacher to go to work sick?

[broui]

11:30 AM on 03/26/2012

We're granted 10-12 per year. We're also granted 2-3 personal days per year. We're exposed to every illness all your cherubs contract. Also, we often have kids of our own who get sick.

I currently have 50 saved up. This year, however, I've used quite a few. Life happens.

[changing]

01:47 PM on 03/24/2012

At least Mitt is honest in saying he is after teachers and unions. Obama is the most anti-teacher, anti-public education president we have ever had pretends otherwise. Fire all the teachers Obama gets away with it all the time with the unions appeasing and giving up everything without a fight. Foolishly they endorsed the Trojan Horse. Maybe it would be better if Mitt was there; at least the unions might speak up rather than giving away public education.

[akababs]

11:09 PM on 03/24/2012

Evidence please....

[mlaiuppa]

04:11 AM on 03/25/2012

Arne Duncan.

Race to the Top.

Public support for the high school in New Hampshire that fired all their teachers over test scores.

[anewbeginning]

08:21 AM on 03/25/2012

Agree, in education Obama is a republican dressed as a democrat. For charter schools, for testing, and Arne Duncan... who sounds just like George Bush.

[ZetaReticuli]

02:03 AM on 03/24/2012

Romney hates teachers. Only corporate managers can unite, not teachers, not workers.