The Plea of the Land: Teach Our Children Better . Legislated Educational Reform and National Education Association Affiliates: Stakeholder Reports in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania

Since the 1983 publication of A Nation at Risk, our country has engaged in an educational reform movement. This study examines the intervening years of National Education Association (NEA) state affiliate key members\u27 activities and attitudes in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania involved with state-legislated educational reform. A neglected issue in A Nation at Risk is teacher unionism on reforms. Exploratory field study conducted (1988-89) unearthed salient issues. Five major variables considered in selection of states studied include: known unionism level; reform degree undertaken legislatively since 1983; value ascribed and citation frequency of reform; accessibility of significant players; and Elazar\u27s state political cultures\u27 category: moralistic, individualistic, or traditionalistic. Including return 1995 site visits, more than fifty people interviewed revealed state NEA affiliate involvement for construction or obstruction in legislated educational reform. A major question of this study is What are the involvements and/or impacts of the National Education Association\u27s affiliate groups in or on legislated reform policy decisions in three states? The findings in three politically and educationally different states may prove significant to researchers and reformers who want to optimize forward movement. The analysis of selected cases articulates detrimental or helpful patterns and processes in making educational improvements in regard to NEA affiliate groups\u27 involvements