Comment

Comment by Michelle Higley on March 15, 2011 at 1:35pm

 I saw this (Andrew Klavin) on the Neal Boortzs' website  a couple of days ago...

Comment by Mary Jane Travis on March 15, 2011 at 10:04am

Billie- I'm still sympathizing with you about your terrible Tallahassee trip.  I hope you are feeling better. Aren't friends great to have ? especially when you ill.  It's not fun being in a strange bed, hotel

 and hospital when  sick. NO, the Tea Party is NOT going away. We must continue to grow and become an important part of our governing process.

One of the greatest differences I witnessed when the teacher union in my area (1960's) was beginning to get stronger was " quitting time."  Union teachers' hours were set by the clock. I, along with others, stayed  until our work was done- or I felt I could go home with work under my arm.  

Many,  many nights my family would "cut and paste" or research to help me prepare a project for the children the next day.  Teaching  children is very different from other types of jobs when you can leave the work and begin again tomorrow.  I chose not to join the union in my 42 years of teaching, although I was pressured many times to join. The union justified  my joining because I  would receive the same benefits as members.  This is true, but I believe everyone should have choices.

 

 

 

 

Comment by JL Gawlik on March 15, 2011 at 9:28am

I have seen his videos before, very informative and hits the nail on the head, check out:

 

http://www.city-journal.org/

 

Lots of information there also. You can view the video at youTube and see his other videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=su4PwZCWUdg

 

Great post, thank you Billie.

 

Note to Buzz, the reason private and church schools do better is because they get a commitment to do well from the student and the parent, they also are able to require respectable, accountable and resourceful behavior from the student, or the student gets kicked out of the school. Most require parents to volunteer a set amount of hours also and a commitment to pay or donate funds to help with various programs, along with a commitment to help with fund raising during the year.

 

Public schools can not do any of that because of the threat of lawsuits and fairness. Interesting to note that when i was theatre booster parent at a high school and collected 'Fair Share' my biggest offenders worked for the city or the school system, they told me they did not have to pay 'Fair Share', our other students suffered for it while their children, who usually had a 'the world owes me attitude' gained from the program. Both my children went to public schools, i was a volunteer for over 16 years while they were in school and frankly i was disgusted by how many parents treated teachers, staff ignored their children's bad behavior and how they treated the office staff, some even threatening to have them fired because, "...I pay your salary, do you understand that?"

 

I saw high school students suspended and their parents went to the principle and had it withdrawn to the frustration of the Deans in the school trying to keep order and to enforce rules and dress codes. It was a real eye opener, usually you could see why students were the way they were, especially when you met the parents. Of course i have encountered a couple of teachers who should not have been in the classroom also. One ended up with just a about five students over the course of a year and that was in the elementary level. In my opinion of what i saw and heard, she should of been removed immediately after quiet a few respectable parents filed complaints. The problem is, you can not do that, because it is being bias towards parents. This whole concept of a level playing field is bs, in my opinion. Where does common sense kick in? When does the truth of the matter count? I saw thousands of dollars of money being wasted in the schools, in the school board and in programs and yet, i saw volunteers, teachers, principals save thousands of dollars of tax money also. It is a mess and that was back in the early 2000's on back. Just my opinion.

Comment by Buzz Provost on March 15, 2011 at 8:08am

This is a very good video and puts out what is going on with public unions.  I remember when the Jacksonville Ship Yards closed.  The unions had a chance to keep it open by voting to change the union contract to let less workers do small jobs instead of sending out six workers to do a two man.  But the workers said screw you and voted it down and the ship yard closed.  This is the same attitude these union people have.  How can making teachers pay into their own pensions and part of their health care harm students.  Over the years it's been said we have to fix education and we thrown money at it instead of fixing it.  How can private and church schools produce a better and higher educated student than public schools?