Mass. Teacher (of the Year) Snubs Paige Honors Over Union Remark

[Robb]

Mass. Teacher Snubs Paige Honors Over Union Remark

The Massachusetts teacher of the year refused to attend an event in Washington honoring the nation's top educators because U.S. Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization."

Jeffrey R. Ryan, a history teacher at Reading Memorial High School who lost a friend in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said he could not accept Paige's apology for his Feb. 23 comments about the 2.7 million-member National Education Association. Ryan has taught for 25 years.

Paige said the remark was a "bad joke." But Ryan said: "Nazi death camps aren't funny. Lynching people isn't funny. . . . And terrorism isn't funny. I just couldn't show up and shake that man's hand after he made those remarks."

Forty-four teachers of the year attended last Monday's conference, which the department had arranged weeks before Paige's comment.

(more)

[grannylib]

1. Good for him....that was a grossly egregious error Paige made...eom

[lazarus]

2. The Times

is behind the times. This story broke 4 days ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=400198