“In the past decade, LAUSD officials spent $3.5 million trying to fire just seven of the district’s 33,000 teachers for poor classroom performance — and only four were fired.” http://www.laweekly.com/2010-02-11/news/lausd-s-dance-of-the-lemons/
That’s how powerful the Teachers Union is in L.A.— a district where only 3% of students score proficient in math or English by the time they reach High School. A union that spent millions advocating for the defeat of prop 8.
Just try to fathom a private sector industry that could survive where their workers could only manage 3 out of every 100 widgets meeting standards. And that industry gave those incompetent workers a bullet-proof, lifetime promise of a job after only five years while churning out such low performance numbers. That’s on TOP of pensions and benefits that private sector workers will NEVER see.
Insert a standard “your probably a great teacher and not all districts are the same” disclaimer here. But this situation is more the rule than the exception. And it’s the future generation of Americans that’s being gypped out of a decent education. Whenever I hear a union teacher screaming that it’s “the kids” that budget cuts are ripping off, my eyes justifiably roll.
There are not many American children left in LAUSD. Which also helps to explain your other stats.
The only people that ultimately responsible for their children's education are the parent, and the children themselves. Whether they home school, or not, ultimately their childrens' education is their responsibility. Lousy schools or teachers is no excuse for children not getting an education. Parents need to look at education as more than just glorified daycare for their kids.
And just try to imagine a private sector industry that could survive when the workers have to make every widget blank into a widget, regardless of how prepared it was to be a widget.
Even if the suppliers had sent widget blanks that were of aluminum, instead of steel -- doesn't matter, make the widget.
Even if the widget blanks were corroded, and would encourage corrosion on the widget blanks they were in the bin next too -- doesn't matter, you can't reject any widget blanks, you have to put 'em all in the same bin, and make 'em all into widgets.
Even if the suppliers call the boss, and tell them it's your fault the widget blanks couldn't be made into a widget, despite the fact that the widget blank supplied was the wrong size and shape for the intended widget -- you gotta make it into a widget anyhow.
Yep, gotta love those, 'private sector industry' comparisons.