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Monday, September 17, 2012

Chicago Strike Shows Why We Need School Choice

It says something about today’s public education reality that the two sides in the teachers’ union dispute in Chicago are the union and the mayor.

Allegedly the point of schools is to educate children. But which side in this dispute has sole interest in children and their parents?

The answer, of course, is neither side.

Unions are about the economic interests of the teachers. The mayor is about his budget and the economic interests of the city.

No one solely represents the interests of the kids.

It’s not to say that the union or the mayor has no interest in the quality of education being delivered. But this is just part of their agenda.

Do union members have to worry that their jobs will be gone if children don’t get the best possible education? No. Does the mayor have to worry that his job will be gone or his career over if children don’t get the best possible education? No.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am tired of being a teacher, and I will change professions soon. Politics has created a situation where I can not do a good job: "Go turn this straw into gold. You have five minutes."

Believe it or not most teachers actually enjoy helping students learn, but the frustration factor of impossible expectations brought forth from the uniformed and ignorant is too much.

I feel sorry for the students.

I can not speak for the union's agenda, but what most teachers are ready to fight for is an educational system that permits them to teach students.



Anonymous said...

But of course teachers are hateful people that only want money thats why they chose teaching of course...some people are just plain dumb. They complain about the teachers yet provide nothing for thier child.