Teacher’s Unseemly Behavior Helps Illustrate Need for School Choice
by William MattoxSunday begins National School Choice Week, the annual seven-day period in the middle of winter when kids all over the country dream of either: (1) having the freedom to stay home from school on account of snow, or (2) moving to Florida.
Well, actually, kids dream of those things all the time. But their parents ought to spend this week dreaming of Florida because the Sunshine State now boasts some of the most forward-looking school choice policies in the country.
In fact, last year a remarkable bipartisan coalition – which included most of Florida’s black and Hispanic state legislators – passed a major expansion of the Sunshine State’s landmark Tax Credit Scholarship Program. This prompted The Wall Street Journal to marvel at “Florida’s Unheralded School Revolution.”
And last year, not coincidentally, Florida’s student achievement test scores continued to rise, catapulting the Sunshine State into the nation’s Top Five states in K-12 education, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual rankings. (Not bad for a state that used to place in the bottom third of annual student achievement rankings.)
While there is much to celebrate in the Sunshine State’s schools, Florida still has its share of education policy problems. For example, last year Florida’s politically-opportunistic former Governor (Charlie Crist) decided to curry favor with the powerful teachers’ unions by vetoing a merit pay for teachers’ bill that he had previously pledged to sign.
Crist’s political strategy ultimately backfired – he got trounced by Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate race. Yet, interestingly, his flip-flop on merit pay would not have even won Crist the 2010 prize for Most Unseemly Behavior by a Floridian in the merit pay debate.
That dubious honor, sadly, would have gone to a government teacher at East Ridge High School in Clermont who sent the Florida Senate President a packet of nearly 100 letters – all of them opposing merit pay for teachers – which his students had written as a class assignment. In a cover letter, the teacher claimed that he had presented the bill (S.B. 6) to the students with “a neutral connotation.” And the teacher also expressed “total amazement” that every single one of his students wrote a letter opposing merit pay.
Yet, included in the packet – no doubt by accident – was the teacher’s actual assignment, which included “talking points” against S.B. 6 that had been copied from a memo (also enclosed) written from the teachers unions’ perspective. No arguments in support of S.B. 6 were included with the assignment. So, it was no great surprise that the students’ letters echoed the arguments found in the union’s “talking points” memo – sometimes word-for-word.
Now, it would be grossly unfair to suggest that this unscrupulous teacher is somehow representative of all those who oppose merit pay. He isn’t. But it would be equally misleading for someone to claim that the Florida Education Association actually represents the interests of all Florida teachers – or, especially, all of Florida’s best and brightest teachers – when it lobbies against merit pay and other education reform initiatives.
What this story illustrates is that even in a state like Florida, where a broad bipartisan coalition is making extraordinary strides in improving public education, all sorts of problems in the classroom can arise. And when such problems arise – or better yet, before such problems arise – parents need to have an array of good educational options so that they can ensure that their children are being taught by teachers who merit their trust.
That’s why we need school choice in America. And why we need to spend National School Choice Week urging policymakers to help turn this dream into reality.
William Mattox is a resident fellow with the James Madison Institute, a public policy think tank in Tallahassee, Florida.
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76 Comments
Before all else, we need to demolish and disband all public service unions starting with the NEA and its satellites.
You just have to laugh at this one.
"… included in the packet– no doubt by accident– was the teachers actual assignment, which included
''talking points'' against S.B.6 that had been copied from a memo (also enclosed) written from the teachers
union perspective.
Does this prove just how intelligent this particular teacher really is? IMO YES it does, which leads me to ask
when will he/she/it be reevaluated for fitness to even be interacting with children. Obviously an OAF!!!
.
Scr•w merit pay, how about you do your job or we find someone else who will!
The Teachers Unions need to be ended.
Then, and only then, should there be School Choice.
No American should be forced to pay School Tax to employ Government sanctioned pedophiles.
Americans should have the right in law to state which School System their Tax Money goes to.
Teachers should have the right to teach without being forced to join a Workers Union, a Union that not only allows the abuse of School Kids but many times mandates the abuse of School Kids..
But kids today are getting an advanced education in all kinds of things. Well, OK, but they are teaching sex education to kindergartners. That's gotta mean they are also teaching them trigonometry and 17th century English literature, right?
He was pure of heart though. We can take his word for it. The kids were able to come to those conclusions all by themselves…
Rather than say it's for the children; we need to say it's for the teachers and their union. We need to return education to the individual state legislatures and downsize the DOE to a non regulatory, oversight agency only or discontinue it altogether. It is also guilty for the dumbing down of America and the students.
Jeeeezzzze …IF we here in FL are in the top 5, I cannot even begin to imagine what the rest of the states are having to put up with. Kids here in FL are dumb (just ask my 19 year old). Drugs, guns and shootings …on the rise. And although we are a "Right to Work State" …90+ % of all teachers are Unionized …they suck.
But, to fear or not to fear …new Gov. Scott is going to overhaul education …these Unionized teachers and gov't employees ain't seen nothing yet …whew …got a big tingle and thrill up my leg.
Florida is definitely a State to watch. Not only because we elected a Governor that's aggressive on his school choice and pro-small business plans, but because we also elected a state legislature that's 90% Conservative. Counties and local governments have also moved sharply right. We tossed out several activist judges all the way up to our Supreme Court level. Even local school boards and political election boards are populated by Tea Party members.
Adding to all that will be our redistricting efforts, which with any luck will help us get rid of representatives like Wasserman-Schultz. Taken all together, Florida will become a very difficult place for obama and even Bill Nelson in 2012.
Here's hoping that all of our newly elected Republican Governors and State Legislatures follow suit.
Funny you go to that point, rm1145, I remember being asked to write this type of letter way back
when I was in grade school. Of course whomever did the best job of parroting the teachers talk-
ing points received the highest grade. What a bunch of geniuses we have in public education, NO?
I've known a few teachers in my day who seemed to have a propensity to bring up something about
their UNION in every conversation I had with them. They wore that UNION like a badge of honor.
At the time I was so naive to believe they were the exception (educated idiots we call them in Tx),
but now I question that assessment. Perhaps this idiocy is rampant, otherwise why haven't the
teachers fought back against those UNIONS who are obviously destroying public education?
.
It really depends on what part of Florida you live in. I've lived in several areas over the years, and the differences are amazing. We certainly "have it all" here. From one county to the next, it can be almost like traveling from one country to another.
But you're right. We should be seeing some major changes with Rick Scott. Hopefully in more than just education. We surely do need it.
Good thing the kids can't read or they might not have thought it out for themselves. :-}
We all anxious wait to see how your state fares. My hope is that the prosperity that is sure to be generated makes it the show piece to the rest of the nation. Nothing sells like success.
Hey JohnK …I'm with ya. BUT we still have some RINO's to deal with. I, too, thought our legislature were all Conservatives …they are not.
FL House: Corcoran – worked for & was a supporter of Crist and FL Senator Fasio. Fasio voted for Crist. Corcoran knows we are watching him like a hawk and for now is walking on eggshells.
FL Senate: 29 (of 40) are Repubs. A few of these Repubs are RINO's. In fact, Mike Haridopolos, current Senate President announced that he is running for Bill Scumbag Nelson's Fed Senate Seat 2012 …unless, he said, if Jeb Bush throws his hat in – then he will support Progressive Jeb who had everything to do with our current financial debacle. This "Good 'ol Boy Network" must Cease & Desist.
And I hope Scott will have the wherewithal to get rid of these friggin' Lobbyists as well.
From your keyboard to God's ears!
Great minds think alike …not being very humble or modest today. Was responding to your post below at the same time you were responding to mine. I'm in the Sanctuary County of Pinellas. Where we have some Free Clinics specifically (and only) for the illegals. We also have a complete Dental Office on Wheels – serving the homeless for free …door to door – hmm, tent to tent, box to box. Yep. And the county is once again in the Red painfully trying to figure out what to cut while at the same time getting a grassroot campaign going to raise the county tax another penny. I've asked them – Hey, what about making gov't employees pay for their own health care and pensions??? While they snickered, smirked & shook their heads, others in attendance cheered and clapped …out of touch? in denial? or just arrogant?
This teacher knows he would be on the low pay scale, no wonder he wasnt for it.
"Teach" might just inspire a new tagline:
The National Education Association… brainwashing tomorrow's socialists today!
Mark my words LostinOR …the DEMS WILL co-opt as THEIR SUCCESS any and all gains we have …as well as across the country. The # of Repub Governors is at an all time high – HELL BENT are creating jobs, cutting the size & scope of Gov't and the BS regulations that have been preventing entrepreneurship and/or bringing in business to their states. The Dem Machine …the most cunning, conniving, covert, evil people in the US.
Oldman …downsize the Dept of Duh Education …abolish the damn thing in full. No oversight at the Fed Level either …they have gone beyond 100% failure. If the States want oversight, fine. Besides, anyone other than me know for a fact the FED Dept of Education is UNCONSTITUTIONAL ???
Wish I knew a word for "beyond 100% failure" …sigh.
America's big slide toward the bottom started with allowing the federal government to take over the school system. As soon as the government took over the Humanist moved in with the goal of undermining every value that made our country great. We now have a generation of young people that have been taught the Constitution's only purpose was to protect 'abortion rights.'
Destroy the youth and you will destroy the future of a country.
- Joseph Stalin
I am convinced that the battle for humankinds's future must be waged and won in the public school classrooms by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity…The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new… the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.
- Humanist: John Dunphy
Humanist Magazine, 1983 Jan-Feb issue
I fully agree with first poster "erp."
Schools in the U.S.A. would flourish, and our children would again be at the top of the world curve, but only when state, and/or federal government abolish public employee unions.
The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new… the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.
- Humanist: John Dunphy
Humanist Magazine, 1983 Jan-Feb issue
Good post. Public schools have been allowed to rewrite history, promote humanism, and serve as the vanguard of Leftist agendas. The rotting corpse of humanism lies in the hallways of the Teacher's Union administrative buildings. Someone has to haul this carcass away.
One of the most disgusting aspects of liberalism is that they have absolutely no compunction about using children as tools to spread their propaganda. They are doing everything 'for the children' don't cha know. And of course the rest of the time they spend advocating for abortion.
All this time we have been vigilant to assure that our government maintain,…..
a separation of church from the state when what,……
we should have been really concerned with was,…
separation of our schools from the state.
If we can just redirect our efforts to the latter instead of the former,…
and are half as successful in this endeavor,….
our kids will soon all become geniuses.
Duly noted. And I agree they'll attempt to take credit, simply because they are so vested in retaining power at any cost. I still hold out hope, however, that because of the new media and the breakdown of the LSM (or BSM, if you prefer) that their attempts will fall as flat as Herr Olbermann.
Indiana has Republican majorities in its House and Senate. Governor Mitch Daniels is ready for real education reform. Private school vouchers are being considered for those trapped in the Indiana government system. Today's article in the Indianapolis Star: http://www.indystar.com/article/20110122/NEWS05/1...
I thank you and compliment you on your correct punctuation.
StudentsFirst.org Michelle Rhee is Great! Check it out!
Florida is also considering a bill for teachers to evaluate parents……
Karl Rove said the Federal dept. of Education's budget DOUBLED in 2010 from 2009. Yikes, more federal control! That'll help.
This Mitch Daniels fella,…
if he can get something this big implemented in Indiana,……
He most certainly must be considered presidential timber.
This article shed some light on the fact that the schools may not be the problem as much as piggy little politicians like Crist. Thanks for the epiphany.
I'm so glad to hear some good political news. The past few years has been a real nightmare.
Right, and in the meantime install closed circuit TVs in all classrooms to prevent socialist teachers from indoctrinating our children!
Right!
and require the installation of closed circuit TVs in all classrooms to prevent socialist teachers from indoctrinating our children while WE pay the tuition!
Agreed. and it wouldn't hurt to install closed circuit TVs to prevent socialist teachers from indoctrimating our children while WE pay the tuition!
Until recently I was very much for Mitch Daniels but one thing troubles me about Mitch Daniels, when I was researching potential Pres. Candidates for US. .He is for Amnesty. There are many quotes by him about that. So I had to take him off my list.
Another one I removed is Chris Christie: I discovered a laundry list of problems. He is pro Cap n Tax, pro Amnesty, he is for the victory Mosque at Ground Zero, and he refuses to join other states in suing ObamaCare as unconstitutional, AND he was with Obama at the China Pres's dinner the other night. Too many negatives here. I could never vote for that. I am from NJ and he's doing ok as Gov. but the above is too dangerous for higher office.
This may be why Christie refuses to even talk about running Presidential office. Too many opposing views to Consitutional conservatism. He falls in the catagory of the nickname 'RINO'
Reevaluated? Go talk to that union rep over there. We call him Guido.
agree pnipni, and make it possible for parents or guardians of children in that classroom to
''tune in'' to observe at their convenience.
.
LOL, SAD but TRUE!!!
.
Let him clean up New Jersey. That'll be enough to earn him a place in heaven.
Right onecornpone! I taught on the secondary level and I would have welcomed CCTV. I had nothing to hide. All my students passed State Board exams and I adhered to the curriculum. As you say, anyone should have the right to knows what goes on inside that classroom.
I was only audited once a semester by management, otherwise I could have been preaching nonsense in there behind closed doors. Open up the content of American classrooms to the parents who pay the tuition or the taxes!
By the way did you see my post, here on this article which included info. on Gov Christie and Mitch Daniels? I'm doing research on the views of all of the potential Pres. candidates through their history. Very interesting. Christ is a RINO, and Mitch Daniels is for Amnesty.
Always dug your comments so,…….
what you say is somewhat disturbing but,….
the truth today is a lot better than after the inauguration.
They would be pecked to death by their peers. The teacher's lounge can be a horror show.
In the words of playwright Albee, "…too damned dumb to breathe."
Yes I read that post, with interest. Sickening isn't it? That's why I NEVER jump on the
band-wagon of supporting some pol with whom I am unfamiliar. We can never know
what is lurking in the dark recesses of their closets. Reminds me of Scott Brown…
Will we as a group ever learn not to become enamored of these folks before we know
all about them?
Thank you for posting that, and please continue to put it up every time these guys names
come up as being some sort of Conservative hero… John McLame 3.0??? What do we
need with that?
.
Just a reminder to those of you demanding the ending of teacher unions. In Illinois, before collective bargaining teachers constantly conducted work stoppages and strikes. Police and firefighters too, would conduct work actions to press their demands – remember "blue flu"?
Collective bargaining requires binding arbitration and no strike clauses in contracts making public services more stable. Remove this process, public employees will return to such behavior. In fact, even during bargaining, work actions are still conducted to put pressure on their units of government when bargaining/negotiations are stalled or at an impasse.
Work actions are a fact of life and demanding the elimination of unions will not stop demands for better wages, benefits or working conditions. Even repealing the mandatory collective bargaining law, unions would exist (the Chicago Fire Department is Local 2 of the IAFF and to the best of my knowledge the city has always bargained with it even though not required) and work actions conducted.
So, binding arbitration or work actions including strikes (primarily from teachers – the CFD went out on strike in the 70's and created internal problems that have lasted for decades and started and ended the first female Mayors administration)? Is stable public services more important or your anger at what was legitimately bargained for and promised by the people you elected?
Want emergency services during a snow storm then don't piss off the drivers of the plows. Want a police officer when you're being assaulted, don't piss off him/her by demanding the removal of pension benefits, because why should they expose themselves to career ending actions? And, likewise, why would a firefighter to enter a building to put out a fire when it's just as easy for the fire to come to them if their personal security is at risk.
Think about it people. Public services are expensive and maybe they're getting a little out of hand. But, in my opinion, anger needs to be directed at federal spending and those monies directed to local public services which you have more control of and directly impact on your quality of life. Attack your Senators and Congressmen/women, not your neighbors who are there for you in the middle of the night.
…..la la la…."Girls just wannna have fun……Public School is now being documented on MTV's "Skin" series…..makes one PROUD to be a "Marican adult…sho nuff.
Wrong. Work actions are not a fact of life. Work actions are a fact of being summarily fired. Remember the air controllers. Gone, replaced and forgotten.
Don't agree. There is a limit and that limit was reached a long time ago. They should not have so much power. If they do work stoppages, they should be fired, according to the will of the people and in place people who will not do such things.
Sorry…your reasons do not justify the absolute extortion public service employee unions throw at the taxpayer. It's gone way too far and they should be fired like any of us would if we stopped our job. PERIOD.
Florida is also in the lead when it comes to post-secondary education. In the early 2000s, Florida implemented a Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) program at most of its community colleges. Basically, the CCB is competition to the colleges. This pushes colleges to perform better, and it is also a cheap alternative for those who can't afford to attend an university.
Also, most of Florida's universities and community colleges are linked together in a system, so students can begin at community colleges and ensure that their credits will transfer to a university.
This is the kind of thinking that I was alluding to.
No, you're wrong. Reagan fired the controllers because they went on strike making his action not a "summary firing" as you allege, but actually allowed by contract and federal law. And, to the best of my knowledge, the controllers are still unionized (only those that walked were fired).
Trust me, public employees conduct work actions all the time when they're pissed off at management or the public. In most cases you don't see them and management handles them through other means, possibly disciplinary actions but many times, renegotiating contract issues. Apparently you missed NYC's snow plow drivers work action and if it hadn't been for some employees of conscience, nobody would have known of them and the consequences of the actions would have been accepted as the effects of an act of nature.
When the CFD members walked out, part of the agreement was that the strikers were not to be fired which is an example of caving in to a serious and illegal work action. If it hadn't been for mutual aid and the immediate hiring of qualified firefighters, the city would have been in serious trouble. In fact, many striking firefighters set fires to harass the management and the "scabs" on the job so there's the level of concern that union members have towards their citizens and their fellow firefighters. Those caught were fortunately convicted of arson and sent to prison. Many more were not caught though.
Other than your mistaken air controllers example, name a factual example of the summary firing of any union member for taking part in work actions devised by their union leaders that was not a civilly or criminally illegal.
Benign unions are fine with me. The problem is unions aren't benign, they're power grabbers and members who violate their work agreements aren't fired. The air controllers were — that's the difference.
Best to dismantle all public service unions. They serve no purpose other than to enrich their leaders and make them petty despots.
The fact the sanitation workers in NYC weren't fired and didn't have criminal charges filed against for them for endangering the public safety (several people died) just makes the problem all that much more desperate.
Will do. I just realized when I read your reply when you said 'we can never know what is lurking in the dark recesses' of the politicians closets, like Scott Brown,…that it happened with Obama! Although most of us didn't vote for him we would never have expected that he would be a ruthless marxist dictator, intent on collapsing and taking over America in HIS image.
I'll keep the info coming, as I peel these politicians back. They're not going to come out and say what I posted above, so I'll find their own words and actions to find our best Candidates! Have a great night!
Right Axion!
They don't call them "Bleeding Heart Liberals" for nothing, and they don't call them "Tax & Spend Liberals" for nothing either. They live up to their stereotype. Only with Obama they're on steroids!
That's right Ralph. We have really been on a fast learning curve ever since we were "duped" into getting obama as a pres. 2 yrs ago.
That disaster led U.S. down paths that would never have been traveled, like Socialists brainwashing our children in school all these years! As you said, at least we now know who to watch out for.
I'm not sure I support merit pay either. It would likely be much better to simply have the ability to get rid of poor teachers. The process schools have to go through in order to fire a clearly incompetent instructor are insane. Get rid of the red tape and probably tenure as well. THAT would go a long ways to improving things.
To Chicago Ralph- I myself have posted that Mitch Daniels would be a great Pres Candidate. So I decided to research all the backgrounds of all the potential Pres candidates, and I found out so far that Daniels has quotes and interviews where he is for Amnesty. And Chris Christie (I''m in NJ) is a RINO! He's pro amnesty, pro Cap n Tax, pro Ground Zero Mosque, and has Imam dealings or friends. He refused to join other States in suing over ObamaCare, and he was at Obama's State dinner for China President. I'll report back on each candidate as I finish reading about them- Jim DeMint, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Jason Chaffetz , Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and more, pni
I myself have posted that Mitch Daniels would be a great Pres Candidate. So recently I decided to research every one of the potential Pres. candidates, and look into their background. Daniels has multiple quotes on line, and in interviews, being for Amnesty. I was so disappointed.I really think he's naive and just wants to be good to them, but that's not how it works because obama & the Dems are playing the numbers game. They want to keep ALL the illegals to force them into Unions after Amnesty, and get a huge voting block. They will always vote Dem to keep the Govt. entitlement checks coming.
I know that it's disapplinting. For me too. I'm in NJ. and Gov Christie is busted too. He's pro amnesty, pro Can n Tax,, pro Ground Zero Mosque and has good Imam friends, and he was at Obama's State Dinner for the China President and he refuses to join the other States to sue re. ObamaCare being un constitutional. So he's off the list, and I liked him! Whew. I'll report back after I do some more research on some of my other favorites: Jim DeMint, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Jason Chaffetz (for VP) Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, etc. pni.
Here in the bay area, there's a local teacher who's been suspended (not fired, thanks unions) for 2 separate incidents in the same week. Note that this was a SECOND GRADE class. One involved the students in the class stripping down naked. The other was two kids peforming oral sex on each other, while the teacher was present. If you think I'm making this up just google it, it was all over the news here last week. And expect only more of this, not less. EVERYONE should know who Kevin Jennings (Obama's 'Safe Schools Czar'….but he's a complete sicko pervert) is….if he were actually exposed in the media, BO's presidency would go up in smoke within a day.
I understood o would try the marxist dictator shtick, I just never thought CONgress
would lie down like a cowed dog, belly up with their ''privates'' exposed for him, as
they did.
I had heard that i-view o did before he became a Senator. In that one he was making
the most outrageous un-American anti-Constitutional statements in such a calm, al-
most hypnotic voice that I immediately knew he was a terrible danger to our Republic.
The problem was convincing others, who saw him as completely non-threatening
based on that same i-view. I knew what buzz-words to watch for because I had spent
a great deal of time studying at the feet of Prof Savage.
We all appreciate your research and posting the facts as you find them, no matter how
disappointed we sometimes are to learn some are not viable candidates for the offices
we would hope them to fill. You have a wonderful evening as well, pnipni. You work
very hard to help us stay informed. I certainly appreciate all your research.
.
I'm glad you're on our side PniPni. Keep up the good work !!
Here in California, 2nd graders were allowed to engage in sexual acts while the teacher was present.
http://www.bluecollarphilosophy.com/2011/01/oakla...
Planned Parenthood is like Big Tobacco, they want to get to our kids early.
There was a teacher on America's Worst Cook until she was eliminated last week. I know from having contact with many unionized teachers that she was fairly representative of the type of person teaching our children.
She was on the show to be taught how to be a better cook but she couldn't remember the simplest things! She would get confused and flustered and not be able to complete an assignment. It just amazed me that this person was a teacher yet had not even one clue as to how to learn.
No, two people died, a newborn and a older woman. And, I doubt there's enough evidence to prove criminal intent in their deaths. A civil liability is likely against the city in my mind for failing to supervise. Firing maybe, but I doubt it as most labor contracts require progressive disipline before firing, however, the labor leaders who ordered the slow down firing is called for. And, a suit against the union is also called for.
Thanks Axion. My pleasure.
Seems like there are a lot of dumber teachers out there making our kids dumber then them!
Right erp. NJ is enough for Christie.
Sorry Ralph. The other poster "and another thing" likes him too so that makes 3 of us that are disappointed. But we have to know that he will go for Amnesty. That could set US back decades in economy, jobs, school seats, culture, and the biggest one…..All of the Illegals will immediately be brought into Unions and will be lifelong Democrats, voting for Obama et al., and collecting lifetime Govt. checks. …..
To be continued. I'm working on the next ones Jim DeMint, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and Jason Chaffetz, and more. Goodnight friend, pni
The William Ayres Educational System…end it.
well said Ralph, way to go.
I thought that was Bob Dylan.
America's educational system has become a joke, a shell of it's former self. IMHO, it started when the establishment demanded that God be removed from the classroom. In the 50's, we started the day with a reading from the Bible, nothing about doctrine, but simple wisdom, a Pslam or Proverb. Then we ALL stood, with hand over heart for the pledge. There was no such thing as telling a teacher to ( go blank yourself ), or other such disrespect. We learned how to learn, that was, and should be again, the point of education. When my children, 3 girls, were old enough, we decided to home school all of them. All 3 are successful. All 3 have been armed with conservative thought processes.
I love to hear our youngest, who still lives with us, come home from work and tell me of the political discussions she has. The libs around her usually bite off more than they can chew because she tries to stay informed, and can hold her own. Parenthood sometimes has it's rewards.
About unions, I hesitate to trash all unions, because there are some that are very important. The trade unions are an example of "good unions", because most of the time, they are there to weed out the inferior mechanics. I worked for the "Steamfitters" here in N.J. for a while and I can tell you, you don't, (and shouldn't) assemble refineries, powerhouses, both conventional and nuclear, with people who aren't of the highest caliber. These unions don't allow for mistakes, they fix them rather than look for blame. They understand that if they turn their heads and allow inferior work, their own families are at risk. To be fair, I've also worked for a few non-union contractors, and I can say, without a doubt, their work is by and large, inferior.
just sayin
Like it! Dad uses to say it, too!
A little transparency into the mind numbing and indoctrination oriented public education "system".
Amen.
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