"Eduction," education, let's call the whole thing off...
See also: Russell Pearce's "Arizona Teacher's [sic] Association" Scrambles to Show It's No Sham See also: Russell Pearce's "Arizona Teacher's [sic] Association": Olivia Cortes Part 2? (w/Updates) See also: Russell Pearce's New Signs Tout His "Eduction" (w/Update)
Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman calls 'em like he sees 'em, and like a true auteur, he retains final cut. Even if I contribute in some small way to some of his videos, I never intrude on his editorial control.
That doesn't mean that I wouldn't do things differently sometimes, though obviously I admire his work.
The above short by Gilman is an example. It hits recalled, disgraced ex-state Senator Russell Pearce hard on the recent flap involving Pearce's campaign signs and some of the endorsements they boast.
In the video, Gilman conflates the so-called "Golden Apple Award for Eduction [sic]," that Pearce touted on one sign, with the laughable "Arizona Teacher's Association," that appears on another.
I may not have explained this well enough in the past, so I'll give it another go.
The "Golden Apple" was awarded to Pearce by the Arizona Parents for Education, an actual organization that shills for online schools. Pearce received this award last year during the recall, and I wrote about it at that time.
To be fair to Gilman, and to the APE for that matter, APE didn't give Pearce an award for "Eduction." That misspelling belongs to the Pearce camp.
The group listed as the "Arizona Teacher's [sic] Association," has a more troubling, recent history, and is suspected of being a sham organization formed to give Pearce a nod from an education organization.
The people involved with the ATA deny this, but so far, they have not been able to supply any actual teachers that are a part of the ATA. Indeed, they seem to be flying by the seat of their pants, hustling to get their act together and appear like a legitimate organization.
Which is why I think it's fair to call them a "likely sham." And I'm not the only person to find the ATA suspect.
A spokesman for the 30,000-strong Arizona Education Association labeled the group a "mystery" and advised the public to draw its own conclusions about an organization that cannot produce any teachers calling themselves members.
Bottom line: Pearce is no friend of education. Never has been, never will be. When he was in the state legislature, he pushed budgets that gutted funding for education, big time.
But today is a new day and Pearce is desperate to prove to those voting in the GOP primary in Legislative District 25 that he's not the ogre his public record makes him out to be.
Hence the "eduction" sign and the "Arizona Teacher's [sic] Association" sign, which are sloppy even by Pearce standards.
Not long are the days till August 28, when Pearce will be crushed for the second time in less than a year. Till then, expect more shenanigans, bloopers, and dirty tricks from the Pearce people. They don't seem to know any other way.
