Business As Usual At AFT Convention: Pro-CCSS Resolution, Lame Arne Duncan "Development Plan" Pass

I wrote yesterday that I wasn't going to be all that impressed if the delegates at the AFT convention voted to call for Secretary of Education Privatization Arne Duncan's ouster.

See, even if Duncan goes, his boss, Barack Obama - the guy whose education policies Duncan implements - will still be in power.

Nonetheless Norm Scott and others thought the AFT leadership would probably let such a resolution pass because they don't like to be seen as less radical than the NEA.

Since the NEA passed a resolution calling for Duncan's ouster, it was assumed the AFT would follow suit.

In the end, they did something pretty lame instead  - they put Duncan on a "Secretary of Education Improvement Plan":

Yeah, I know - I bet you think I'm joking here.

Alas, I am not:

#AFT14 Duncan deflection - call for Duncan to "improve" - Mulgrew, et al support - Randi said let members decide - we knew they had a plan
— Norm Scott (@NormScott1) July 13, 2014

So cheeky amdmt passes, 2 implement "Secy Improvement Plan" on Duncan, & if he doesn't improve, having been treated fairly, to resign #AFT14
— David Dayen (@ddayen) July 13, 2014

The AFT also passed a pro-CCSS resolution, heavily promoted by the AFT leadership, that the Common Core Federal Standards have lots of "promise" but have been corrupted by corporations looking to profit from them as well as poor implementation:

I can't believe we would agree to CC$$ because we're worried about bad press. When we present our reasoned arguments, we win. #AFT14
— Karen Lewis (@KarenLewisCTU) July 13, 2014

Stunning from member "Notice all voices pro Common Core were union leaders all against were rank and file." #AFT14 @AFTunion (Gunderson)
— Wilhelm II (@knightofgood) July 13, 2014

Here is Lacetothetop putting the AFT convention into perspective for us:

#AFT14 Next yr will start w same standards, high-stakes tests, & false accountability. Make sure green laces are on the back to school list.
— lacetothetop (@lacetothetop) July 13, 2014

On Friday I wrote that you should always watch what they do at the AFT and UFT, not what they say, because their actions often undercut their words.

That's what we've just seen at the AFT convention this weekend - AFT leaders leaking how they would be "escalating" the "union opposition" to corporate reform and the Obama Administration this weekend, but in the end, they issued a few lame resolutions that are meaningless in the real world and it's back to business as usual.