Blog Watch

Intercepts

David Snyder

Intercepts, a blog that describes itself as "a listening post monitoring public education and teachers' unions," is keeping a skeptical, bemused eye on education unions in the news.

In a time when unions are players in several major education story lines, from state-level changes in labor law to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization, Intercepts is a valuable source for underreported stories and interesting perspectives.

Intercepts blogger Mike Antonucci consistently uncovers interesting and unusual education union news, such as a recent principal strike in a Butte, Mont., public school and a discussion between Maine Governor Paul LePage and the Maine Education Association about professional development funding. Antonucci has opinions, but the blog stands out by emphasizing aggregation and analysis over grinding ideological axes.

Perhaps the strongest posts are those in which he picks apart questionable media coverage. For instance, "Did NYSUT Prez Really Get a $45,000 Raise?" digs into a sensationalistic salary story in the Albany Times-Union to uncover what the compensation figures on tax forms really mean.

Keep up with posts at www.eiaonline.com/intercepts.

David Snyder is a reference librarian in ASCD's Information Resource Center.

ASCD Express, Vol. 7, No. 6. Copyright 2011 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.