The Chicago School Teachers Strike Reveals the Need For School Choice Comments
350,000 students are still out of school in Chicago. The Teachers Union called what the Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel referred to as a "strike of choice". The Mayor did not stop there, he added "And it's the wrong choice for children." The Mayor is correct. However, the right choice is school choice. Continue Reading
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Interesting comments. Too bad you ignore the Catholic social teaching on the right to bargain collectively. This is a very narrow presentation of the facts constructed to validate a limited opinion. If you lloked farther afield you would recognized that the problems within your education system are not the fault of the unions, but rather, the fault of a misguided approach to education policy. All of the highest achieving education systems in the world have strong unions and a strong professional body that guides educational policy. The mishmash of education policy that would arise from your proposal would only serve to continue the descent of your education system into chaos. Looking from the outside, as a professional, your systems for granting teaching licenses are far too lax, with too many routes into the profession, your salaries far too low to attract talent (I make $95000), education policy far too focused on standardized testing and the achievement agenda, your unions far too weak to prevent misguided policy development and your funding far to sporadic and tied too closely to the community. Fix these farmore demanding problems first then talk school choice. I am a Catholic teacher in Ontario Canada.
Public schools were once an asset to the nation. This is no longer the case. Textbooks distort our own history and world history, and encourage dishonesty rather than what is good for the student and for society. Children are better educated either at home or at most private schools than in the "free" public schools which are so very costly.
The 200 days per year which the Chicago teachers work, if broken down into weeks equals a salary of approximately $171,000 per year.
It's amazing, the teachers make more than most Americans do and they want MORE--at this time, especially--with the economy as it is! Apparently, they have no shame; it is sad. I don't agree that government-run schools are the way to go--After all, where does the government get its money for the schools? I think we, the people, would do a better job locally and our children would be better off--considering what they are being taught (and not taught) these days in our public schools. Home-schooling in small groups is also proving to be an excellent alternative.
Being married to a teacher and having many in my family I will tell you what I hear repeatedly. Unions can be a problem, but what is the trade off. Dema pander to the unions and the teachers are lukewarm voters as a result of it. The GOP isn't considered a viable alternative...not because of the anti union stand. I think most would switch parties and only about half are loyal democrats. But the other half begrudgingly votes against the GOP because the constant hate spewing lies of fox news and limbough, etc. who rather than limiting their anger to unions, they direct much of it to teachers. That, in a nutshell, is a barrier the GOP needs to overcome. I think it would be more lucrative then people think. Teachers deserve a career and respect and I get a strong impression they are openly disrespected by the right. I don't think most are loyal union and democrats. At least not in my family.
I think these teachers have an obligation to educate our children instead of going around and around on the sidewalk. Are not Juine , July and August already great benefits? Who else has three months off.!!!
Chicago corruption is ugly! It is especially ugly when it hurts our children. But, in the end, we the people get the kind of government we deserve ... the kind we voted for!
Homeschooling time!
Utter greed. Typical American consumerist gluttony. 75Gs a year, 3 months off a year, and they want more $. They make almost twice what a certain editor I know makes with only two weeks off a year. Of course, the children in any case are better off out of these public institutions of moral corruption and misinformation. Try homeschooling, you parents.
I agree with practically everything you said, the one thing that would still concern me if everything went the way you stated. That concern would be the Church taking taxpayer money for the parents choice of a Parochial school over the "public school" since it would be paid by taxpayers contributions, which would then allow the Government to have a say in the schools overall rules and regulations. It would give the government to much say in the way we run the schools and I think the government needs to stay out of the Religious institutions/schools. That's been the problem between the Churches and the State. You have the State controlling social issues or social charities you give them the power to rule against them. Those who feed from the troth will be forced to take what is given. Time to wake up!