It’s been said many times that unions are a thing of the past and if they want to survive they must adapt and adjust their “business model.” While it’s safe to say that they have put in an effort (breaking up bargaining units, minimum wage ventures, attempts at card check elections), they haven’t changed all that much. Attempts to organize charter schools are one area in particular where we see that the business model is exactly what it was 17 years ago. And we can say that with sheer certainty because a 17-year-old Pennsylvania State Education Association document recently emerged that outlines their charter school organization strategy. Guess what? It’s surprisingly similar to recent efforts in areas like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. In other academic news, Harvard has appealed to the Board to reverse their decision that the 2016 election wherein the majority of graduate students voted against representation be invalidated.
