Steve Jobs: Break Teacher’s Union or No Hope for School Reform

[William Korach]

25 October 2011

By Bill Korach

In the new bio Steve Jobs,  by Walter Isaacson, Jobs says: ” Until teacher’s unions were broken, there was almost no hope for educational reform.” By any measurement, Jobs made Apple a phenomenal success. Apple’s market value is greater than any company on the face of the earth including Exxon. Apple’s products are hot and the Apple stores are packed even the middle of a sluggish economy. Apple has been a huge contributor to the public school usage of computers and access to the internet, millions of Mac’s have been distributed to public schools. So when Jobs attacks unions for protecting bad teachers and preventing principals from hiring good teachers, he speaks from profound experience. Jobs tended to support Democrats, but on this issue, he was pure Tea Party.

Since the founding of the teacher’s unions and the Department of Education in the 1970′s, a creature of the teacher’s unions, educational spending has skyrocketed, while student performance has plummeted. This year the DOE will spend $80 Billion, and not one cent will educate a single student. Instead, the DOE mandates politically correct textbooks, supports UN global mandates over the Constitution and provides political cover for the unions. Last year, high school seniors scored the lowest SAT’s in history. The performance of American students in math and science ranks 25th among developed nations according to a 2010 McKinsey study.

Textbooks that trash America’s Judeo-Christian Heritage, promote Islamic propaganda, a socialist welfare, and UN’s agenda 21 are a product of the unholy marriage of the DOE and the union. Break the union stranglehold on American schools or continue to watch the deterioration of our schools and our country. Steve Jobs was right about more than Apple, he was right about America’s schools. We should heed his advice. Read more about our failing schools in The Report Card

 

[Steve Tikas]

And that we are rational adults that can disagree and still be civil about it.  I like going to the HuffingtonPost site and commenting there and it is amazing how rarely I get someone that will engage me with facts I usually get either feelings or insults or a combination.  I have got some of that here to but for the most even when people don't agree with me they are respectful.

[chris vaca]

Thank God we live in America

[Steve Tikas]

I never said respect should not be shown to the flag I just don't think it should be forced, or mandatory.  That is okay we can agree to disagree on this one maybe on the next one we will see eye to eye.

[chris vaca]

I'm sorry but I respectfuly disagree. Showing respect for our flag should be shown in our schools.

[Steve Tikas]

You asked "How else are our children going to learn the meaning of patriotism and love for our country"  from the parents were things like morals, values, and ethics should be learned.  Those are not things I want the school teaching them.  The school is there to teach them math, science, history, reading, etc not values like patriotism. 

 

Force might be a harsh word but it is true in this case.  What is the difference in meaning between forcing children to say it or it should be mandatory for them to say.  I used force you used mandatory. 

 

Like I said I would tell my children that I expect them to say it but not because the school told them to but because myself and my wife told them to.  I don't want my children learning that the state, which for them the state essentially equates to the school can force them to do something they don't want to do when they aren't hurting anyone. 

I also don't believe prayer should be mandatory in school for the same reasons.  I do however think that if a child wants to pledge allegiance or pray during school they should be allowed to do that as long as they aren't interfering with the normal course of the day.  I think rules stopping them from praying, or saying God, or voicing their opinions on gay marriage, are wrong and are against the ideas of freedom and liberty that I, and many others in this country, value above all others.

[chris vaca]

Making the pledge mandatory in school is no different than making math or history or science mandatory. How else are our children going to learn the meaning of patriotism and love for our country. Force is such a harsh word. It's nothing more than teaching them how to show respect for our flag and country. If they don't want to say God because of religious reasons, that's fine. but the pledge should be said in school.

 

[Steve Tikas]

Our school system is a abysmal failure to our children.  Like Mrs. Whitcher said it is not the teachers faults many of them are good people that are doing the best with what they can do.  The fault lays at the hands of the unions and the federal government.  The unions don't care about the kids and their name tells you that much they are a teachers union not the children's union. 

 

Our education system is geared towards making kids 'feel good' about themselves instead of teaching them important stuff.  My daughter was using her calculator on her homework which was basic math problems.  I took it away of course but she told me they are able to use their calculators in school and she is in 7th grade.  I wasn't able to use a calculator till I was in high school algebra.  She also told me the other day that they don't teach history in her school.  I have started giving her weekend assignments on different historical topics.

 

@Mr. Vaca: While I would tell my child to say the pledge of allegiance the children should not be forced to say it by the school system.  More important then saying the pledge is one meaning it and forcing them won't get them to mean it.  Also important is the meaning behind the pledge which is supporting the basic principles of this country which are freedom and liberty.  Those two things and force don't go together. 

 

Also by saying children should be forced to do something by the state you are giving the state power that they should not have.  The state is there to protect our freedoms, liberty, and the rule of law none of those things are accomplished by forcing children to say the pledge.  The state should not force children, or adults, to do something that they are capable of doing, or not doing, themselves.  That is for the parents to do not for the state.

[William Korach]

Public Schools must be reformed because 90% of American kids (and illegals) attend. We can win this fight if we understand that the educational elite are an unelected bureaucracy. We need to support Grass roots groups that will take on the school board, the textbook publishers and the principals. It is a long term fight, but if we don't fight it, the next generation will all be like the Occupy Wall Street zombies.

[Cilla Whitcher]

I don't have any kids, but I feel bad for people who can't afford a prvate school education for their children.  I assume you must be vigilant at all times to over see the things your children are taught.  I  have several friends who teach at public schools and they too are upset with the way things are going with the schools.  When they complain and don't want their unions dues spent on Democratic candidate they are told that the money is spent so they can keep their jobs.  Take my word for it  there are 3 teachers that don't believe in the school system of today they are very dishearten and ready to retire.

[JIM MC CORMACK]

It must start at the local level and then to the House of Representatives.