Teachers Unite
By John Fedele

 

I am not a fan of teacher’s unions. I believe they have made good teachers less effective and bad teachers a burden on schools and students.

That being said, the unions have an ally in the downfall of our educational system….the United States Department of Education and their boss, the President of the United States. Not only this one, but every one since 1979.

There have been at least 4 well meaning government laws concerning education, which have resulted in lowering expectations, while achieving their goal of raising test scores. No Child Left Behind, is the latest farce forced on school systems by the Federal Government. In his State of the Union Address, the Prez said wants to “invest” more in education. He, or someone in the Ed Department, also said we had to get away from a “farming” educational system, because we are not an agricultural nation. Obviously the orator has never been to Kansas, Nebraska, or Iowa.

We hope David Dennis’ letter to the Department of Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, asking for a reprieve from the upcoming requirements of NCLB gets some positive results. Teachers, administrators and school boards need to get behind this effort. The Federal requirements for schools by the year 2014 is unattainable, primarily because we are dealing with humans.

So, let’s write letters. If you teachers want to get back to teaching, let’s make these requirements go away or at least make them doable. In the end, if the Feds persist, state boards of education, teachers and their unions should protest and refuse to comply. If the Prez wants to “invest” in education, that will give him the chance. Since, by law, the government would have to take over the schools. That would mean higher taxes. I wonder how the public would react to that.