Posted on 08/22/2011 8:37:05 PM PDT by TruthHound
***VIDEO AT LINK***
Dr. Moe: “If you stand up for kids, you have to oppose this [collective bargaining] Schools get organized by the adults on the basis of interests and concerns that have nothing to do with kids. So, why would you expect that system to work?”
As students head back to school, it is a good time to reflect on why education is failing and continues to fail. Terry Moe, Chairman of the Political Science Department at Stanford, provides a dispassionate and extensively researched book, Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools, which should become a useful and effective tool for any passionate education reformers. Dr. Moe states and backs it up with 500 pages of text that teacher unions are the biggest impediment to permanent and effective education reform.
Dr. Moe’s research unquestionably shows that America’s children are risk because of their very own teachers’ allegiance to the NEA and AFT unions rather than education. And, until Big Labor’s influence over education is diminished, reform remains elusive.
In his presentation at the Concerned Educators Against Forced Unionism’s (CEAFU) 36th Annual Conference, Dr. Moe stated that his research concludes that it is impossible for any effective education reform to occur with teacher unions as partners in reform. He said that unions have been and will inherently remain the well-financed opposition to education reform. Professor Moe added that in our political system it is easier to block reform than to bring about reform, giving teachers unions an additional edge in preventing changes.
(Excerpt) Read more at biggovernment.com ...
The intellectuals in the MSM are starting to see the totalitarian behind Biden's comments - and now this... An intellectual backing our side. The tide is turning.
If you have the time and/or the money, there are alternatives to the public school monopoly: charter, parochial, private, and home; but I’m sure you’ve considered these possibilities. I chose a reasonably priced private until high school and them manuvered to get my daughters into one of the two best public high schools in the county. My wife chose parochial. One of my best friends chose to start his own charter. Another good friend is home schooling his son. Bit by bit we are chipping away at the NEA.
unions are evil.
they destroy the honor of work.
Aside from that, do they serve any useful purpose?
This idiot obviously hasn’t read John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty”. This idea that you can have a DOE—central government control of schools and only mention Marxist Unions as the fault in this ‘system” of Marxist indoctrination is amazing.
Only indoctrination into slavery is taught in these Prussian schools design for “group think” and dependency and humiliation —if you dare to think differently than peers. Established firmly by the Socialist Dewey—and with government force and lower age Right out of Marx’s playbook...—”plastic minds” you know which can be shaped anyhow they want. Just convince mothers they need to give up their duty to educate and nurture their children in the formative years—so they will be emotionally vulnerable and easily led and brainwashed.
It is set up to destroy knowledge, humiliate intelligent children, destroy individualism and incentives—it is designed for boredom and teach children to hate learning. Sex Ed is designed to destroy morality and modesty and disturb the normal sexual maturation in the latency period which creates dysfunction and abnormality (Melvin Anchell, MD).
Read BK Eakman and John Taylor Gatto (free online), they document the intentional knowledge and morality destruction that is going on in public schools. The curricula is designed by Bill Ayers type Marxist professors. It has been since Socialist John Dewey in the 30’s.
Local parental control of private schools is the only way to go—worldview will not be controlled by the government which is creating ACORN obamabot Thugs. That is their goal and they are succeeding—just like they did in England, which had a little head start since they were close to the source of the German Postmodern filth, that seeped into our country at the turn of the 20th century.
Ideas matter the most in formative years of children—Lenin, as all Communists know—. get control of media and schools...and publication companys—the Marxists got control in the 30’s....McCarthy, Chambers==lots of people tried to warn us, but we had blinders on and “trusted” government and the Marxist media to disclose the “truth”. Big laugh on us.
btt
The lessons would never be forgotten, and would benefit the students throughout their lives. My price? We could negotiate that freely. As long as I can eat and provide for my family, too.
A good teacher . . .
Knows both the subject and the students well.
Is passionate about both the subject and the students.
Uses mnemonic strategies and that are pleasant for any layman to adopt and pass along.
Selects the subject with both individual and corporate edification in mind.
Selects a subject that makes teacher a student of his/her own subject at the same time.
Public schools are an undiscerning meat grinder. I would love to take some kids and teach them in my own time and way. A particularly small focus is better, for example a 3.141-day course called "All About Circles," with pie served up during the last hour of class. Truth be told, I bet we could teach that one to 2nd Graders and learn some home cooking at the same time. Never underestimate the capacity of human intellect, especially in children.
This approach, if coordinated well and widely, would put public school union types to shame in a big way. And they most certainly are worthy of shame.
Imagine a pool of individuals who are dedicated the principles of a good education as our forefathers understood it, and were qualified to teach in a narrow field. Their subject and qualifications would be subject to certification and publication (i.e. advertisement). Thereafter the teacher is free to travel to any home or place where the students are willing to support in some small way for a short period of time. Reputation and results will matter, and be reported accordingly.
How much would you pay a teacher to come to your home for one week to teach your household all about circles? Would you allow a place to sleep, meals, and maybe $100.00? Gather a few neighbors and family together and let them donate freely of their substance so the amount will help the teacher support his family and other charities.
Just throwing it out there. I'm an enemy of the status quo when it comes to education in this country.
O for a people that would espouse the total deconstruction of the DOE and its minions! Alas, the State has a vested interest in producing more mind-numbed dependents.
If you want evidence of just how bad PE unions have been screwing the taxpayers, have a look at the report just out from Wisconsin Governor Walker’s office today. Their new PE union law has just started being effective and already the affected government entities (primarily school districts) have demonstrated savings of millions of dollars in health insurance expense. The “union sponsored” healthcare plan that was mandated in the union contracts was ripping off the school districts big time!
“O for a people that would espouse the total deconstruction of the DOE and its minions!”
Unfortunately, the people have nothing to say about it. This country has become an administrative tyranny, ruled by the entrenched Federal bureaucracies headed by political radicals. We’re finished in the long run if Congress doesn’t get up the nerve to defund these monstrosities.
Really. Is there any argument for unions anymore?
The "old "protection from employer exploitation" thing just doesn't hold up anymore. Not with the non-union industrial plants in South and their workers doing so well.
And, of course, there was never any reason for public employee unions. None whatsoever. Even FDR got that.
“Is there any argument for unions anymore?”
The unions came about at a time when companies ruthlessly exploited workers. Over time much of what they fought for became law, so the need for them decreased. Looking at the reversals for workers in the past twenty years, maybe they’ll make a comback - we’ve certainly lost ground.
Anybody working 9 to 5 anymore? How many are working (with this wonderful technology) for hours from home, without additional compensation? How many have health benefits worth anything? How about those salaries keeping pace with cost of living and inflation?
We’re regressing back to the point where we were when unions were at their heyday; in response to the perceived threat of union growth, our companies have simply shipped the jobs to countries where individual rights can’t hold a candle to ours. While I have many of the same problems with unions that other FReepers have, I’m shocked at how easily the decline in our standard of living is dismissed by some, and how the relationship to work conditions is completely ignored.
I agree that there is no need for gubmint workers’ unions.
I don’t doubt what he’s saying. But, for such a distinguished professor, he doesn’t seem to be a very effective speaker.
"People of the same trade seldom meet together even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public or some contrivance to raise prices." - Adam Smith
That’s true - but truth has very little to do with presentation... better if they go together ...
The most fundamental single force behind wage erosion over the last generation has been women's lib and women-in-the work-force.
Over the past generation, aside from population growth, we essentially doubled the work force. Such a profound development is bound to have an adverse impact on wages and working conditions.
“Over the past generation, aside from population growth, we essentially doubled the work force. Such a profound development is bound to have an adverse impact on wages and working conditions.”
I think the impact of that is more disastrous in terms of our falling birthrate; if companies couldn’t get women into the workforce they would simply import more Mexicans. If Americans realized how much our birthrate had already fallen, and how many of our under-10 population was Hispanic, they’d overturn the government.
Among other things, women's lib was intended to destroy the American family. And, with that, American culture.
Betty Friedan was a Communist. Gloria Steinem was a fellow traveler.
They certainly succeeded in that; we’ve gone from nuclear families to men penetrating each other under the name of “marriage” in 40 years...
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