A good rant

[drscott]

Via Colby Cosh, a profane and iconoclastic rant about the NEA, from Vice Magazine.

One thing I can still do when I'm dizzy: read. The intended project for the week (washing and waterproofing the shake roof) has been put off.

Comments

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

Interesting read.

I've never liked the NEA, and, contrary to the author's suppositions, not every teacher is a member (though he may have been referring to public school teachers there and simply forgotten to specify). It always has struck me as being a somewhat corrupt organization from what I've read, but I can't deny that it has done more good than the two counter-arguments the author produces.

I wrote a whole bunch of stuff about vouchers in response to this, then realized I really haven't researched the topic sufficiently to express any real opinions. I do get the feeling, though, that vouchers are nowhere near the cure-all some people would have us believe. We cannot have a market economy in a universal education system. People will fall through the cracks like crazy in a voucher-induced educational world, and I can see a real ghettoization of schools, where the disparity between schools in rich areas and schools in poor areas becomes EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED than it is now. That will simply further stratify society.

The educational system is broke...I'm just not sure this is the way to fix it.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

This is a rant, so it's expected to be one-sided. There are plenty of detailed arguments to be made, and the author isn't even trying to make them, he just wants to use the big sledgehammer. But I thought it was good provocation.

I remember when one of my favorite, most progressive teachers was the union guy in my junior high. As usually happens, though, 30 years later the idealistic movement has been captured by those who use it for their own benefit, and the monopoly nature of public schools traps its clients and allows the abuse to continue.


As a private-school teacher, you're in a different environment.

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

Um, yeah...LOL...believe you me, if there's anyone who knows that my environment is different, it's me. I grew up in public schools...and things have gotten even worse in the past 12 years.

I totally don't envy public school teachers their jobs.

Perhaps the correct way to work things is some combination of current arrangements with vouchers incorporated...but I really do think a voucher-only system is scary.