(O Death & redguitar) If you suspect that the unions are the problem

[redguitar]

Originally Posted by O Death

The only way that I can see the State being on par with private sector and charitable organizations is if they eliminate the teacher's unions.

Why should government employees unionize to begin with? Their jobs are damn near untouchable.

If you suspect that the unions are the problem, then let's test that hypothesis. Eliminate the unions in some districts and see what happens. If that strategy proves effective, try it some more. But there is a big difference between getting unions out of public education and eliminating public education.

That's the very platform of the Socialist agenda. Everyone benefits from wealth redistribution and everyone is equally worthless nestled against the State's bosom.

Yeah. Right. Than don't use those evil, nasty, smelly, socialist gubberment schools. Send your kids to other schools. Or teach 'em yourself.

And who do you trust with this oversight?

The State?

Unless I'm home-schooling, I'm transferring the oversight of education to some other party. And for many, home schooling simply isn't the best alternative.

After all those laps around the Sun, I have come to the conclusion that scumbags are pretty evenly distributed throughout society. Just because an institution is privately operated does not mean its members are noble; nor does membership in a public sector institution imply any lack of nobility.

The State continually pillages and awards itself from the public treasure. When the money runs out, they unanimously decide to raise taxes. So now I am paying more for a rabble of drones, dragging their feet through the government system.

Why?

There is not incentive for the government educators to do a good job.

Why not? Why do some of us who really don't have a problem with pop stars, ball tossers, hedge fund managers or CEOs earning seven or eight digit incomes seem to get all squeamish when teachers salaries approach the high end of five digits? What magical sense of incentive is inherent in private sector educational institutions which can not be implemented or effectively mimicked in the public model?

Oh sure... a brand new teacher fresh out of college goes into the public school system with the best of intentions. But we know where good intentions lead, huh?

No. Where do good intentions lead? Can they ever lead to good results?

The government model has failed and reform is a joke. As soon as reform is implemented, I can foresee the same mess, i.e. history repeating itself, in thirty years or less.

Then fix it. Get elected to your local school board and work to improve the system. For many, it's the only they school choice they've got.