New Jersey’s annual teachers conference is an outdated idea

Laura Waters:

Ask any New Jersey parent: it’s been a long week and a half with most school districts shuttered by Hurricane Sandy; many still remain closed. But parents got an unexpected gift when the New Jersey Education Association announced that it was cancelling its convention in Atlantic City, scheduled for November 8-9 this year.
According to the union, that’s the first time that’s happened in 158 years.

Not only did NJEA cancel the convention, but it also generously supported local districts’ desire to reclaim those two days for instruction and deserves hearty applause. But let’s push this a little further: the tragedy of Sandy is an opportunity to reconsider the wisdom of cancelling school for two days in November.