So on the one hand the teacher's union is criticized for trying to protect itself and its members' livlihoods, and then on the other hand it is also important for us to educate future generations of Americans. Without the protection of a labor union, teacher salaries would plummet [supply and demand of course], and with cuts to already low salaries, the quality of the average teacher will drop as well. The value of a profession to society must have some significant correlation to financial compensation. Low salaries without unions? Low education quality. Bottom line. Teachers do not get much respect in this country, and yet we are constantly told that education is so important and the future of our country depends on it. Privatization produces efficiency--yes. And when it comes to even a basic industry like healthcare, privatization usually serves to give better care to the majority because everyone knows when they need medical attention. How does someone who is poor come to understand the importance of education? Why do education boards in some states want their children taught based on a religious text written thousands of years ago instead of the fundamental facts of geology and earth science? The value of education is of course cultural, and America needs to ensure it is part of our national culture. Education needs to be an established, important part of the government's basic services because it is just that: basic. Or maybe we should make all roads private too. And river access. Who needs national beaches and parks? Stupid hippie communist tree-huggers. FDR and social security--what a joke! What purpose do old people serve anyway? They only drain resources from our country. Send them to the ovens....
How many straw men can one post erect?!
How does one get from giving parents more control over their kids' education to "[s]end them to the ovens"?
GOOD teachers (and schools) get plenty of respect and would be amply compensated under a system that rewarded excellence over mediocrity.
Good point on Social Security, though it is more of a crime than a joke.
What's so difficult about this? Excellent educators are an asset and should be paid better.
All of us have to deal with this every day.
This sentence is very condescending: "How does someone who is poor come to understand the importance of education?"
How? Common sense and wisdom know no socio-economic bondaries.
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