Richard Kahlenberg on how liberals can avoid a costly internecine battle over education policy.
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10 Jul 2008 12:41 pm
Comments (7)
I agree for the most part, but found this statement confusing:
"...alleges that (teacher's) unions care more about their own members than they do about students."
Isn't that exactly what the teacher's unions are supposed to do? If I were a teacher, I would certainly hope my union cared more about me than the students. Somebody else is getting paid to bargain on behalf of the students' welfare.
In case anyone wonders, policemen's unions care more about the police than the public - same for fireman's unions. The UAW cares more about autoworkers than drivers. It really shouldn't be very surprising or controversial.
Matt, have you ever actually spoken to anyone connected to the teachers union? How closely have you been following the experiment in disaster capitalism that is currently being inflicted on DC schools in the name of reform?
Why are we asked to believe that those who have given their life to educating America's urban children than those who have never spent a day in the class room?
Have you read the anti Rhee blogs?
http://avoicecriesout.com/
http://schoolsmatter.blogspot.com/
http://rheeform.wordpress.com/
Why is Sharpton considered a liberal? 'Cause his skin is dark?
The stink tanks who are promoting this nonsense are the same stink tanks who promoted the Iraq war. Why are we listening to them?
Wait--AVOID a costly internecine battle? Huh. Well, I GUESS we could try it that way . . .
sorry for the double post
"Have you read the anti Rhee blogs?"
I don't know that much about her, but if that is what her critics say, she might be the best school superintendant I've ever heard of. I have never actually heard of anyone thinking that someone running public schools has ever done anything right. The criticism of her on those blogs (the 2 of the three that mention her at all) is very mild, or completely wrong.
This is not the year/election cycle to divide Democrats on this issue (as Matt's post says, but then goes on to incite an argument about). The teachers unions will eventually lose, but Obama should ignore that entirely for his campaign and first term.
As for the article itself, my favorite is "but for the vast majority of students who attend nonselective colleges, or go straight into the work force, doing well academically doesn't really matter that much.". Yes, that's the problem, all those inner city kids who aren't going Ivy League school. Could the author be any more divorced from reality?
Comments closed July 24, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Matt, have you ever actually spoken to anyone connected to the teachers union? How closely have you been following the experiment in disaster capitalism that is currently being inflicted on DC schools in the name of reform?
Why are we asked to believe that those who have given their life to educating America's urban children than those who have never spent a day in the class room?
Have you read the anti Rhee blogs?
http://avoicecriesout.com/
http://schoolsmatter.blogspot.com/
http://rheeform.wordpress.com/
Why is Sharpton considered a liberal? 'Cause his skin is dark?
The stink tanks who are promoting this nonsense are the same stink tanks who promoted the Iraq war. Why are we listening to them?
Posted by dcblogger | July 10, 2008 2:26 PM