My dad is a certified public school teacher.  My sister-in-law is a public school teacher.  Both have worked in the GRPS.  Frankly, I'd put the average GRPS teacher up against any teacher in any district anywhere in the nation.  We've got a lot of fantastic talent.

That said, the GREA leadership, led by Paul Helder, are the absolute worst the district has to offer.  The constant knock against Big Labor in education is that they put adult issues above kids' needs and that's modeled perfectly in Grand Rapids.

Go back to those threats of a strike.  Not only do they continue to rattle the saber, while the District becomes increasingly crippled by plummeting enrollment and threats from the Democrats in Lansing that they'll be cutting per-pupil funding, but according to Helder and Graeber, they've found a new way to cripple the public schools without getting their own members' hands dirty.

GIVE THIS A LISTEN!

Graeber discusses a new GREA strategy... to force a bus driver strike, meaning thousands of Grand Rapids kids would be left at home and in the streets, unable to make it to school.  Apparently the thinking is that the union leadership will use the bus drivers as a giant stick to beat the District, creating a quid-pro-quo; agree to labor leadership's unsustainable demands and they'll let kids come back to school.

The maniacal laugh you hear during the explanation... that's Paul Helder.  He likes the idea of keeping kids in the street.  Thinks its hilarious.

Could go on and on with this stuff.  MEA Exposed has well over a dozen clips posted on their website and each is a must listen.

THIS ONE, FOR INSTANCE proves what we've known all along... the newspapers are in the tank for the left.  "Dave Murray is faaaantastic," Helder fawns over the Grand Rapids Press reporter.  "He has been an enormous help to us."  

Graeber then chimes in:  "We've always gone to Dave Murray just before his deadline and said, "here's the information David.  We're not going to give this to anybody for another two hours..." He has the impression, true as it is, if I'm going to hammer these people, I'm not going to get first crack at this story."

And when a reporter like Peter Ross asks tough questions?  They kick him out and restrict access.  The clock's running, by the way, to see how long it takes the good folks at the Soros-funded Michigan Messenger to raise as big a fuss about GREA's handling of Ross as they raised about MRP's handling of their own lefty blogging outfit.

In the meantime, check out MEA Exposed for the rest of the audio and tell your friends and family members.  This is an amazing look into the pathology of Big Labor, a couple of pieces of work operating here in Grand Rapids and the press that fawns over them.  From their mouth to God's ears.  And yours.