Disclaimer: My parents are (retired) teachers, so I have a LOT of respect for the teaching profession. I know it's a job that I can't do. So I may be oversensitive here, but...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4353665/
Quotes from the article in extended copy.
Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday.
Democratic and Republican governors confirmed the education's secretary's remarks about the National Education Association.
"These were the words, 'The NEA is a terrorist organization,"' said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.
Several Democratic governors called the remarks inappropriate.
"He was making a joke, probably not a very good one," said Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. "Of course he immediately divorced the NEA from ordinary teachers, who he said he supports."
Now to be fair, the article does not list the context in which the comment came, and it could very well be just a bad joke. But I can't imagine how teachers who are already trying to deal with NLCB can accept this talk from the Ed. Sec., even in jest.
Of course, real teachers on this board, I trust your opinion on this more than mine, I'd be interested in hearing what you think of this and NLCB as well...