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Education Chief Calls Teachers Union `Terrorist' Group

  • 02-24-2004
WASHINGTON -- Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a ÿterrorist organizationÿ Monday, taking on the 2.7 million-member National Education Association early in the presidential election year.þþPaige's comments, made to the nation's governors at a private White House meeting, were denounced by union President Reg Weaver as well as prominent Democrats. Paige said he was sorry, and the White House said he was right to apologize.þþThe education secretary's words were ÿpathetic and they are not a laughing matter,ÿ said Weaver, whose union has said it plans to sue the Bush administration over lack of funding for demands included in the ÿNo Child Left Behindÿ schools law.þþPaige said later in an interview that his comment was ÿa bad joke; it was an inappropriate choice of words.ÿ President Bush was not present at the time he made the remark.þþÿAs one who grew up on the receiving end of insensitive remarks, I should have chosen my words better,ÿ said Paige, the first black education secretary.þþÿThe NEA is a terrorist organization,ÿ Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin quoted Paige as saying.þþPaige said he had made clear to the governors that he was referring to the Washington-based union organization, not the teachers it represents.þþWeaver responded, ÿWe are the teachers, there is no distinction.ÿþþPaige's Education Department is working to enforce a law that amounts to the biggest change in federal education policy in a generation. He has made no attempt to hide his frustration with the NEA, which has long supported Democratic presidential candidates.þþWhite House spokesman Scott McClellan said, ÿThe comment was inappropriate and the secretary recognized it was inappropriate and quickly apologized.ÿþþ

Source: Chicago Tribune