By Jeffery M. Freitas, CFT Secretary Treasurer
In October I accompanied AFT President Randi Weingarten and
several fellow AFT union leaders on a fact-finding trip to Sweden
and Norway. The purpose of the trip was to examine firsthand the
approaches taken by the countries to inform our own approach to
public education.
At first glance, Sweden and Norway seem nearly identical. Both
countries have low levels of income inequality. They fund their
schools well and it shows. They both have high rates of union
membership and participation. And they both have a relatively
high rate of electoral participation.