NEA TARGETS CHARTERS, HOLDS UP ON GAY ISSUES

The National Education Association, America's largest teachers union, held its convention recently. At least two policy statements deserve notice.

First is the NEA position on charter schools, which are public schools independent of local-district control, as they receive a charter to operate from a university or state chartering board.

The NEA wants to make sure that charter schools are held to the same standards other public schools face.

As long as this means academic standards, there is no problem. But the real NEA agenda is to force charter schools to be restricted by all the regulations that bind most public schools.

This would be a tragic mistake, as charter schools are re-inventing public education, and they are doing so with great promise.

Second is a development relating to gay and lesbian curriculum in the schools.

The NEA dropped a resolution that would encourage schools to develop materials supporting "the struggles of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and staff."

Instead of approving the resolution, the NEA established a task force to study the issue "in a holistic, reasoned way."

The attitude of the overwhelming majority of Americans is one of tolerance toward gays and lesbians. Few are those who would endorse mean measures of any sort against them. But few are those, as well, who want to see a gay and lesbian curriculum in our schools. The NEA is to be commended, this time, for not adopting the policy.

Meanwhile, parents, taxpayers and public-school patrons everywhere should have no doubt: If certain militant forces within the NEA have their way, an educational curriculum is on its way to the public school near you that will introduce gay and lesbian studies into your children's' schools.

If and when that day arrives, it will be clear that this definitely isn't your grandfather's school system.