in the case of democratic party, the largest contributors to the teachers unions are the democrats. allowing teachers to strike on matters such as their compensation, i think is a right that exists in this country. but i do believe we have to have a recognition of the person sitting across the table is representing the public and the students, not the teachers union. >> another issue that came out of chicago, governor, what portion of the teachers' salaries should be connected to test stores. >> i think there should be some connection between the capacity of the teachers to move students from grade level to grade level to their compensation. there were some teachers that regularly moved virtually all of their students a full grade level or more. and there were other teacher s that were unable to do that. in my opinion, the teachers that are able to do that should be paid more. >> the cost of a full rise to tuition is $38,900, do you think we owe as a nation every pupil in american the equivalent of a $38,900 education every year? >> i don't know that a dollar number always equates to

teachers from being able to strike. i just think the most important aspect in being able to have a productive relationship between the teachers unions and the districts and the states that they're dealing with is that the person sitting across the table from them should not have received the largest campaign contributions from the teachers union itself. we have a very unusual situation in this united states, it relates not just to the teachers unions, but more broadly. but people are able to give -- in the case of the democratic party. i don't mean to be terribly partisan, but i kind of am, in case of the democratic party, the largest contributors to the democratic party are the teachers unions, the federal teachers unions. it's an extraordinary conflict of interest and it's a problem and should be addressed. allowing teachers to strike on matters such as their compensation, i think is a right that exists in this country. but i do believe we have to have a recognition of the person sitting across the table is representing the public and the students, not the teachers union. >> another issue that came out of chicago, governor, in you

the teachers. and the head of the national teachers union said at one point, we don't care about kids, we care about the teachers. that's their right. but the people who are on the school boards and the parents, they're the people that have the primary interest in the kids. by the way, there may be politicians that don't get it right but i believe you have to recognize that a union has a different constituency than the parents have. and the people elected to represent the kids whether doing a good job or not i don't know. i can tell you this jeb bush stood up to the teachers unions in florida and that made a difference and arne duncan by standing up for the kids, has made a difference. i believe that we simply -- we simply can't have a setting where the teachers unions are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politicians and then those politicians when elected stand across from them at the bargaining table supposedly to represent the interest of the kids. i think it's a mistake and we got to get the money out of the teachers unions go into campaigns. we have to separate

because the chicago teachers union -- the new leadershipas done only reinvigorated the union in the city, but reinvigorated the teachers' union movement nationally. it really has energized, electrified, teachers nationally because this is not a traditional union and on traditional labor struggle. it is a union that has a different vision of education and is fighting for that. it is a social movement union -- or trying to beat -- in which it is very democratic. the bargaining team includes 40 rank-and-file members of the ctu and it has energized the rank- and-file. i was at the strike headquarters yesterday and there were hundreds of teachers showing up to pick up tickets signs, talk about the issues. it is not just careless and her leadership, but the rank-and- file -- it is not just karen lewis and her leadership, but the rank-and-file leading this. >> there will be a rally today? >> from 3:32 6:00 at the headquarters. it would not just the teachers. it will certainly be parents and students and community members as well because there have

the issue and do a lot of teacher bashing. >> the president goes after mitt romney on education. and right on cue, mitt romney goes after the teachers. >> the teachers union has a responsibility to care for the interests of the teachers. >> former governor howard dean and atlanta mayor react to mitt romney's educated mess. >>> scott walker and paul ryan come out against union busting. eugene robinson and bill roden on why the nfl gets what it paid for. and on national voter registration day, ten million latino voters are in danger of being disenfranchised. we'll bring you the shocking details of a new report that could swing the election to mitt romney. being disenfranchised. we'll bring you the shocking details of a new report that could swing the election to mitt romney. >> good to have you with us. thanks for watching. americans are up in arms after a blown call in a football game. it's amazing what gets the country's attention. the nfl is in a labor mess because millionaires are trying to save a little money by busting the referee's union. i'll have more to say about this in a few moments. >>> but today we learned what kind of labor issue we will have

mayor bloomberg or the teachers union? pretty straight forward. here are the results. 31% said theayor. 56% said the teachers union. when the question was asked only to people in the city who have dsn the blchoo, th gap was wider. 22% said mayor bloomberg. 69% said the union. more than three to one. this underscores how off base mitt romney is when it comes to the perception of teachers unions in america. mitt romney is so confused on this issue he actually made the case for the teachers in chicago todain intvi >> education is done at the state level. the federal government provides funding for special needs unions in america. mitt romney is so confused on this issue he actually made the case for the teachers in chicago today in the interview. >> education is done at the state level. thfederal government provides funding for special needs students. >> it's just that easy, right? one of the main reasons the teachers went on strike for the first time in 25 years was because of resources and the lack of resources in the classroom. it's different throu

union, -- karen lewis, president of the chicago teachersnion, thank you for being with us. she is part of the union's caucus of rank-and-file educators, known as core. she was a chemistry teacher at martin luther king high school on the south side of chicago. we will be back in a moment. ♪ [music break] >> this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. 100-city tour. we're in chicago. in a nearly under recording released by the magazine mother jones, mitt romney tells a crowd of donors what he thinks 47% of americans are dependent on government and see themselves as victims. >> on tuesday, mother jones released the full, unedited 49- minute video of romney speaking on may 17 to wealthy donors to the home of controversial private equity manager marc letter and over time, florida. tickets for the dinner cost $50,000 a plate. in comments that have received less attention, romney has also heard on the original tape joking to his audience that he would have a better chance of selection had been born a lati

the real world on that. he took a huge risk in doing it. >> is this about teacher qualifications? the union says it's not. >> it is also about teacher ability. you tried really accountability -- to try to bring in accountability. it's inevitable. there are some things you have to take on. look at the performance of the school system. it is a school system that is run by arne duncan. he was in charge of that school system. >> chicago teachers make $76,000 per year. but the average earner in chicago earns $47,000 per year. you get people earning x amount paying teachers who make 50% more and who were offered a 16% increase in salary and yet went on strike precisely because they do not want to be held accountable. i think rahm is right. and i hope he clenches this by sending the head of the teachers' union a dead fish. that often works in situations like this. >> we're here for one thing -- to let the governor and republican legislators know that the voter i.d. is wrong, based on a lie. >> president of the philadelphia naacp. the supreme court of pennsylvania hearing arguments against the new

the best teachers to be better compensated is a good idea. teaching is a profession. i understand t interest of the terson t teachers union has every right to represent their members in the way they think is best for their members. but we have everyight to in fact say, no, this is what we want to say which is in the best terests of ourhildren. and i believen tht inst ohin to recognize that teaching is a profession, like your profession, like my profession, like lawyers and doctors. and the very best are more highly compensated and reward and measured. we don't just presume that because we've been here for a certain number of yes we should get more and mor pay y . ind,et measured. and if teachers say there's no good measurement system, let's look for one. let's see what does work. let's see if wean agree on some kinds of measures and learn from those things. but i want the best teachers to be highly compented. wa starting teaches, plau particularly those with a track record of excellence in learning, i want them to be well compensated, to be drawn into the profession. education is about teachers, great leadership and paren

the union. some people say, look, it's not the teachers. it's the teachers union. not for the kids. have a point? >> there's a bit of a point in there. i want to say that i think that the unions and the teachers should be back at work right now. i mean, the fact they have a framework should be enough to get them back in the classroom. in fact, it just shows what a lack of trust there is in chicago right now. i think ultimately, steve characterizes this as just being about supporting unions. if you actually get into the weeds about what they were striking for, they had some very good positions, reasonable positions. for example, this is the one that made the most sense to me. the idea you can evaluate teachers year to year, and actually put their jobs and careers on the line by test scores, year to year, when you're talking about a school system where 80% of the students come to school on reduced or free lunch, that's basically means that's the poverty rate. you're just asking the teachers to be held accountable for too much that's going on outside the schools. i think it was very rea

ultimately will need to do something because it will affect the political careers of the chicago team teachers union higher ups and people in the mayor's office and the mayor himself ... they have to figure out a way to get this dispute resolved ... in its third day the teacher's strike continues with pickets at schools around the city its anchored parents and forced resolve on teachers to get that new contract ... >>i think hopefully i would love to see this and as quickly as possible if everyone just keeps sitting down at the table >>it's challenging when you have to juggle the schedule in its eighth public safety problem as well not wanting to take sides in the dispute the aldermen are careful about framing their criticisms. >>we have mixed emotions ... we want to make sure it we have good teachers but we understand their concerns as well they stayed focused on the welfare of the children ultimately ... >>we have to get the children back into the classroom >>i think the union should make sure that they go as long as it takes to get to resolution that works primarily for the children the issue did

politically, it's huge because the teacher unions historically have helped democrats get elected. obama is putting at risk is support from the teachers' union. >> they are helping him. >> if this strike went on and really had to take a position, he would risk losing a lot of unions. rahm emmanuel is a hero on this. things in chicago were a joke. they had a very short school year. the teachers needed to get in the real world on that. he is a hero. >> this is not about teacher qualifications. >> it is also about teacher caugaccountability. it is inevitable. it is the case in the nation's capital and elsewhere. look at the performance of the school system. there is a large percentage of kids to do not complete school in chicago. the school system was run by arne duncan, now the secretary of vacation. he was in charge of that school system. >> are caught the teachers make on average $76,000 per year. he wants longer school days and a longer school year. >> the average earner in chicago earns $47,000 per year. you get people earning x amount paid teachers who make 50% more and who were

the teachers to go on strike today. the two main issues are how teachers are evaluated is the big one according to the teachers union. acher evaluations tied to test scores. they are very worried that up to 6,000 teachers over the next year or two could lose their jobs if these new evaluations go into lays. the city of chicago says they don't know where that number comes from. but they're still discussing that issue. also rahm emanuel wants local principals to have more control of the hiring decisions in individual schools. he says the top performing schools in the strict are those that give that local control to the local principals. the teachers union wants more of that control centralized. that's what our understanding is of the main issues that are still being talked about right now, martin. >> well, beyond the lack of learning, this is a real problem for working parents. what are parents doing with their kids? >> well, it's been a very, very difficult situation. behind me is a school that's one of 140 or so schools throughout the city of chicago that was open temporarily this morning fo parents who had child care

the teachers union joins us for the latest. >>> public school teachers continue their strike in the cityhicago. the teachers union and school board officials failed to hammer out a contract on day two of the strike. a spokeswoman for the teachers union said today there's still a considerable way to go. meanwhile, new polling is looking good for the teachers. 47% of voters support the strike while only 39% oppose it. a number of major issues are still on the table. however, teacher evaluations appear to be the hot issue. mayor rahm emanuel and the school board want teachers evaluated on the student's standardized test scores. teachers argue the new system is very unreliable. it's unfairly targeting teachers in struggling neighborhoods because outside issues harm students' test scores like violence and hunger in the home life. the system is so flawed, professor professors sent the mayor a letter warning against it. critics say this is a plot by rahm emanuel and the school board to make a move towards more charter schools. he's stepped all over the teachers of chicago. he's cancelled their

the teacher's union. the rank and file members don't do that. t also ask me american federation employees gave them money. the afl cio gave them money. but you know what the teachers classified it as? public relations. >> well, it is. it's public relations for their side. >> media matters and democrats say more money for unions. >> but the members don't know this. the members never get a chance to know how this money is being spent. when it is classified at public relations it just goes into over head. >> i would disagree with you when they have the opportunity to have their job without being part of the union they vote pretty critically last night. in wisconsin when they were forced to be a member of the union keep their job tap left like that. >> it is important to give the union members a real voice and a vote. >> unions are not pro worker they are pro shadow bosses. >> elizabeth you got my attention when you talk about the military. i assume the military is an exception. a third are civilian employees of those 60 percent are already unionized

teachers, not everyone is the same. >> not at all. their talking point to their teachers is that this is an attack on teachers, and it's not. it's an attack on the behavior of the unions to have job number one for the unions is protecting all teachers, even the ones who aren't getting the job done. talk to any good teacher and they'll tell you the worst thing for them is having colleagues who aren't getting the job done, who aren't even showing up for work somedays, the previous year's teacher doesn't prepare the students to do the next year's work. so we reformers celebrate teaching, we celebrate teachers, and we think teachers should be treated like professionals, and unfortunately, the teachers unions have in many ways sort of become like the longshoremens union, where they say everything should be driven by seniority and that's crazy. >> it's interesting, because arnie duncan was here last week and he was saying that the unions have been helpful. he's been working with them a lot. very nice to meet you. thanks for coming on again. >>> coming up, it was bread and circuses for ancient rome's upper class. why the decline of the middle class is another warning sign. p

the teacher's union. the rank and file members don't do that. t also ask me american federation employees gave them money. the afl cio gave them money. but you know what the teachers classified it as? public relations. >> well, it is. it's public relations for their side. >> media matters and democrats say more money for unions. >> but the members don't know this. the members never get a chance to know how this money is being spent. when it is classified at public relations it just goes into over head. >> i would disagree with you when they have the opportunity to have their job without being part of the union they vote pretty critically last night. in wisconsin when they were forced to be a member of the union keep their job tap left like that. >> it is important to give the union members a real voice and a vote. >> unions are not pro worker they are pro shadow bosses. >> elizabeth you got my attention when you talk about the military. i assume the military is an exception. a third are civilian employees of those 60 percent are already unionized

weingarten, the president of the american federation of teachers, the chicago teachers' national unioni, thank for joining us. >> it's always great to be with you, eliot. >> eliot: thank you. you did reform late the education conversation with the strike. explain what you wanted to do and what you think you accomplished? >> no one wants a strike, and a strike is to be avoided virtually at all no one goes into a strike willingly. but what happened in chicago was there has been 15 years of closing schools and teaching to the test as opposed to teaching children, so parents and the educators, together -- that's why parents supported the strike by a two to three to one basis, talked about how we need the tools for teachers, and resources for kids, so we make every single school in chicago a school where parents want to send their kids and educators want to work. a school where kids actually get prepared for the world that they are about to face rather than being a test score. >> eliot: of the last ten or 15 years there have been a lot of good ideas, but throughout this one of the very unfo

john till then has steadied the illinois teachers' union. i assume they are up to speed? >> it is a great irony of the again ceiling. people don't like that if the teacher is below par. but parents want to identify those teachers who are exceptional to be rewarded with merit pay. they want everybody -- everybody to be treated the same. >> they are spending 13,000 per stuent in chicago. >> exceptional teachers take those four kids would be greatly rewarded. but with the strike we just had they were fighting for the lack of accountability. they don't want to be held accountable. there was no apparent present at the negotiating table. john: most parents want to do the right thing. the average wage is 40,000. chicago teachers? >> 71,000 according to the union and the school district says 76,009 including pension closer at 90% which is more than our tax -- architects or nurses. >> we have the shortest school day and a few list ness met minutes. >> they say they are overworked. >> a child k-12 will get about three years less destruction that is why the teachers who are so well p

the issue of teacher evaluations remains a major sticking point ... >> >> standardized tests to not tell us anything other than the socioeconomic background of the students we do not control that we've no control over that ... >> >> teacher union president says it is not there to catch a teacher's job and her lively had to standardized tests especially when we're talking about the portion of children who face difficult challenges are come from broken homes ... >> but the test scores are just part of the evaluation process only 25 to 35 percent of the press decision regarding a teacher's performance ... >> they want flexibility in the right to hire the teachers they need to help their students other teacher pay increases have been reportedly resolved with a base salary increases of the next four years money is still a major issue the school district projects and nearly $3 billion budget deficit over the next three years in the school board president says there is no avoiding the state financial shortfall ... >> >> i think it is only 25 are 30 percent of the entire of a valuation is based on the test scores another 10 percent is based on student feedback and 50% on conservation and evaluation is not exclusively test scores ... >

. >> it is day 2 of the chicago teachers strike and america's third largest school district and mayor rahm emanuel is in a deadlock with the teachers union teachers are protesting in the streets while students remain out of the classroom. the teachers and the city remain deadlocked at this hour, and the white house, which is so tightly tied to chicago, finds itself in a pretty tough spot. the president is yet to support one of his closest friends and supporters, rahm-bo. mitt romney and paul ryan have come out against the teachers' unions demands. more of the moral courage that this president is so well known for on display. juan williams and the author of the brand-new book, "divider in chief: the fraud of hope and change." i got to blurb this book. very proud of t. it's a terrific new read and book. >> thanks? >> so, let me start here. the president's in a tough spot. the president, he gave $1.5 billion to the muslim brotherhood and pushed mubarak out and they are raiding our embassy and the pathetic statement, blaming coptic christians and he can't go against the teachers unions. >> it is an offensive statement, by the way. to say tha

. >>> and on day two of the chicago teachers strike, the union isn't backing down to the bully. the teachers union president is here for an exclusive interview. >> good to have you with us. thanks for watching. the presidential candidates put their campaigns on hold to mark the somber anniversary of the terrorist attacks. president obama spoke this morning at a pentagon memorial ceremony where one of the hijacked planes crashed 11 years ago today. >> we know that somewhere a son is growing up with his father's eyes and a daughter has her mother's laugh, living reminders that those who died are with us still. >> the president made a detour to arlington national cemetery where casualties of the iraq and afghanistan wars are laid to rest. in shanksville, pennsylvania they were honoring the victims of flight 93 and their families. biden drew upon his experience with the loss of his wife and his infant daughter 30 years ago. >> my hope for you all is that as every year passes, the depth of your pain recedes and you find comfort as i have, genuine comfort in recalling their smile, her

for the most part during his tenure up until last year, he kept peace with the union, the teachers union, and there were few times when there was a lot of disagreement but the schools always started on time. last year when mayor rahm emmanuel took office, he was instrumental in passing state legislation to reform schools. among the issues that the state approved was how much control principals and the chicago board of education would have over schools. they also changed ways in which the teachers union could bargain, negotiate, for their contract. so that is what is is at play this time around. >> brown: you mentioned rahm emmanuel. you have some large personalities in play there i guess. he comes with national attention already. he of course was involved with some of these issues when he was at the white house. then you have the teachers union chief karen lewis. tell us about... is it a personality clash? >> well, it doesn't seem to be a personality clash. but these are two very strong-willed people. many people know rahm emmanuel as the former white house chief of staff. there is a leg

work of teacher unions. what the teach unions have asked for is that teachers are actually being treated fairly. they actually have the tools and conditions they need. what you're seeing is you're seeing a lot of big city mayors resist that because they don't want to spend the money on it. ultimately if we're going to change to have these new standards, which is what roy and i have both championed, so that kids are applying knowledge not just knowing things, we need to have the time to make sure that that gets done right. same with evaluations. you can't just have a press conference and say we now have a new evaluation system. we have to actually make sure we do these things correctly and collaboratively. that's what teacher unions throughout the country are trying to do or at least the teacher unions that i'm involved with are trying to do. >> brown: so why do you still see resistance and why is there that sense? >> the teachers' union in chicago, i don't think has the approach that randi weingarter does. i think sh

john till then has steadied the illinois teachers' union. i assume they are up to speed? >> it is a great irony of the again ceiling. people don't like that if the teacher is below par. but parents want to identify those teachers who are exceptional to be rewarded with merit pay. they want everybody -- everybody to be treated the same. >> they are spending 13,000 per student in chicago. >> exceptional teachers take those four kids would be greatly rewarded. but with the strike we just had they were fighting for the lack of accountability. they don't want to be held accountable. there was no apparent present at the negotiating table. john: most parents want to do the right thing. the average wage is 40,000. chicago teachers? >> 71,000 according to the union and the school district says 76,009 including pension closer at 90% which is more than our tax -- architects or nurses. >> we have the shortest school day and a few list ness met minutes. >> they say they are overworked. >> a child k-12 will get about three years less destruction that is why the teachers who are so well

but the problem is is the teachers union will allow us to get rid of that teachers. the best example of this is a new jersey and nevada teachers of the year were fired. teachers of the year were fired. why? because they were doing a great job and union rules said the rwanda to go. the bad teachers you can't get rid of. the teachers that are not doing a good job you can't get rid of if you can get rid of the bottom 10%, you can make our education system, hour k-12 education system which more effective. also, why should we be going to school 170 to 180 days a year when many other countries are doing 220 and more hours per day. why can't you do it? teachers' unions won't let you. why can't you get good physics and math teachers? because you cannot pay the same for the physics and math teacher and that skill set is much more needed in the private sector. as you pay for physical english teacher i'm not besmirching them because for the english teachers' but in the private sector the skills but is not as in demand because they will allow you to. you can't reward the teachers

the teachers. it's a change in reform that is being pressed from the union by democrats. >> if you go to the chicagoshing for reform. they have a clear plan of how they see reform happening as well. i think they're probably united on that front. the question is how do you get there. >> exactly. >> 35 minutes past the hour. exactly 11 years have passed since the terror attacks that changed america forever. at ground zero this morning, family members of 9/11 victims will participate in the traditional reading of the names. this is a live picture that we have for you from the national september 11th memorial in manhattan. the ceremony begins at 8:39 earn 50 time. and at the white house, the president and first lady will observe a moment of silence before arriving at the pentagon at 9:20 eastern for a wreath laying ceremony. >>> vice president biden will speak at a ceremony at the flight 93 memorial in shanksville, pennsylvania. that is at 10:00 a.m. eastern. >> quite a bit planned across the country here. 50 forms of cancer are being added to the list of world trade center related diseases covered by t

john till then has steadied the illinois teachers' union. i assume they are up to speed? >> it is a great irony of the again ceiling. people don't like that if the teacher is below par. but parents want to identify those teachers who are exceptional to be rewarded with merit pay. they want everybody -- everybody to be treated the same. >> they are spending 13,000 per student in chicago. >> exceptional teachers take those four kids would be greatly rewarded. but with the strike we just had they were fighting for the lack of accountability. they don't want to be held accountable. there was no apparent present at the negotiating table. john: most parents want to do the right thing. the average wage is 40,000. chicago teachers? >> 71,000 according to the union and the school district says 76,009 including pension closer at 90% which is more than our tax -- architects or nurses. >> we have the shortest school day and a few list ness met minutes. >> they say they are overworked. >> a child k-12 will get about three years less destruction that is why the teachers who are so well