"There are four special interests that have blocked, clogged, and undermined reform for decades. It is all about money, control, and power. It is diseased value system that leaves our kids uneducated, exposed to violence and drugs, and with too few or zero opportunities to pursue the American Dream. Who are the four? Emphatically, I name names: the teacher's unions, the University Schools of Education, the bureaucracies, and (unbelievably) the PTA's." From:
I Will Name Names.
Wow, teachers' unions, teachers' school, school districts and PTAs cause exposure to violence and drugs, Wow. Love to see the statistics that prove that. Is it the number of feet from a unionized teacher to a student that correlates to their chances of going on a rampage with a gun? Or the number of unionized teachers a student is exposed to that tracks to their becoming addicted to cheap Afghan heroin?
Hmmm, we might argue that the
war on drugs is the CAUSE of much of our inner city violence. But hey, that would leave the GOVERNMENT to blame. Can't have that. Blame the unions and teacher colleges. As far as drugs, well, I believe Union teachers are just as anti-drug as any other teachers(I've heard some of those non-union private school teachers can really tie one on given a chance.) If there is statistical proof otherwise, please educate me.
The person I quote at the start of this post(Mike Piscal) is very much for charter schools. As far as charter schools, one good thing about them is that people can choose to get into those schools and that creates cohesive groups of parents and students that can make for good learning environments. In the Seattle School District they have had a system of being able to choose among several different public schools, each of which had different strengths. You could select which school might be best learning environment for your child. Isn't the ability to choose a better school part of "No Child Left Behind". Isn't the ability to choose a better school a big part of the push for "school vouchers" and "charter schools"?
Here in Seattle our school choices are being drastically cut back and mostly eliminated. Why? Did the unions demand it? Not a bit. Did the teachers schools want students to only be allowed one school choice? No. Did PTAs demand that their children have fewer opportunities to succeed? NO, NO, NO.
Conservatives following the "anti-tax" mantra pushed through state laws that cut back on tax money available to schools.
Hmmm, it was not the unions preventing choice, it was "conservative" tight wads and their fear of having to pay for education that is limiting choice. If you are a conservative, pat yourself on the back. In Seattle, conservatives are managing to outdo even the "evil" teachers' unions in restricting children's opportunities for a good education.
If you think schools could be better, blame the conservative "anti-tax" cult for cutting back on school choice. Cheap ass small minded conservatives deny kids school choices...
Big Time Patriot