Dems Rally Against Unions!

OK, teachers' unions. Still . . .

by Mickey Kaus - August 24th, 2008 - Slate

Things We Thought We'd Never See: Democrats Rally Against the Teachers' Unions! I went to the Ed Challenge for Change event mainly to schmooze. I almost didn't stay for the panels, being in no mood for what I expected would, even among these reformers, be an hour of vague EdBlob talk about "change" and "accountability" and "resources" that would tactfully ignore the elephant in the room, namely the teachers' unions. I was so wrong. One panelist--I think it was Peter Groff, president of the Colorado State Senate, got the ball rolling by complaining that when the children's agenda meets the adult agenda, the "adult agenda wins too often."

Wow!

Is this not a stunning event? Who would have ever thought that we would finally start to get traction on the obvious truth that throwing money at education was a waste of time when educrats and union bosses simply used the money to justify the latest fad in teaching kids how to "put on condoms" or to "reinvent reading" or learn "new math", etc. etc. etc.

No matter how many times these inventions in education failed to improve the ability of our kids to compete in a world where high tech jobs require high levels of literacy, the educrats and the education unions, touted their new inventions in how to waste money.

Competition for our kids between the different camps was opposed like it was poison.

Finally the reality is sinking in. The world is a world of competition. Competition for our kids interest is the sure way to make amazing improvements in education. Union opposition to competition is to continue down a failed path. It is time for competition for our kids future. This must include (here in North Carolina) a huge increase in Charter Schools, equal opportunity scholarships for poor students not served by public schools to attend private schools that give them a chance in life, a return to vocational emphasis in high school in recognition that college is not the only path to life success and special emphasis on science-technology-engineering-mathematices.

If you have another "choice" to offer our kids (with the kids and their parents having the control), I am for it and the unions are against it. It is as simple as that. Some want to see our kids excel. Some want to see adults (teachers and union bosses) have an easy street in life. At this point, even the Democrats are starting to see the clear choice in this confrontation. The kids must win.