Education Degradation Part II

My last column garnered surprisingly positive responses from many local school district employees who, it seems, felt I'd said something they couldn't. My hopes that they continue listening with open minds.

This time I promised to discuss ways to shift the status quo in education away from progressive exercises in self-congratulation towards renewed excellence.

Firstly let's note that there are no such things as solutions, only trade-offs of varying favorability to different people. This point could have saved us much trouble as so many of the problems in education today are the result of progressive elites comparing our past educational climate to perfection then finding it wanting. Absent perfection they demanded solutions all the while never asking if it was water or gasoline they threw on the fire only whether it was well intended.

Since I'll be discussing politics I'll mention mine. Firstly my father, many of my friends and virtually all my past co-workers are teachers. Far from harboring anti-teacher sentiments I have much respect for individuals in the profession. Only when teachers act as a group, specifically by proxy as a politicized union, do they fall from my favor. Secondly, I didn't come into to teaching as some hardened ideologue looking to reinforce preconceptions. On the contrary I generally considered myself a Democrat and in 2002 voted for (WI Governor) Jim Doyle particularly because of his opposition to school vouchers. Today I admit I'd sooner stay home than vote Democrat, but that perspective evolved only after years of observing countless progressive myths exposed.

As my last column illustrated, there's been a profound degradation of behavioral standards. Today I'd say that student (mis)behavior accounts for well over half our educational shortfall. Teachers need the power (and the will) to permanently remove disruptive, intimidating, and often violent students from the classroom, but repeatedly find themself running into the law. Unfortunately in this case teachers can be their own worst enemy.

Let me explain. Teachers' unions are hugely influential political forces with massive resources. If they put their weight behind policy empowering them to remove problem students they could have it. Republicans would sign that legislation in a heartbeat and heck, probably throw them corporal punishment to boot.The holdup? That's where the unholy alliances at work inside the Democratic Party kick in.People should not underestimate the influence wielded by special interests like trial-lawyers and well funded socialist-leaning foundations inside the party.

Now the ultimate interest of trial-lawyers and socialists for instance is a society with a forever-broadening concept of justice. More perceived victims, government dependency and relativism translates into billions of dollars and permanent employment for lawyers willing to finesse those gray areas and millions of votes for Democratic politicians selling solutions to problems they also caused. No Democrat dares stir this pot with fundamental reforms.

Certainly many dismay over this politicization of education. Luckily there's a wonderfully favorable trade-off that would largely transfer education from the hands of politicians into those of parents almost overnight: universal school vouchers.

While vouchers are a no-brainer to many, as a former voucher opponent I understand where folks go wrong. You see I was taken by the popular argument that vouchers would be unfair since private schools wouldn't be burdened by the same regulations as public ones. But if public schools are at an admitted disadvantage and we are sincerely dedicated to education it's our duty to steer away from that model. Besides, fairness doesn't pertain to institutions, only people. Institutions, like goods, are only tools to serve people until a better way emerges. Nobody would demand that people begin throwing away their DVD players out of a sense of fairness to Betamax.

Enact universal vouchers then watch bad schools and teachers sink while the good ones swim. It's real world evolution after all and we know who can't get enough evolution.

In closing: teachers must see the NEA for what it has become- a political activist group that puts ideology way ahead of its members- and rightfully shun them. Interestingly over the past 50 years the number of teachers nationwide has increased 300% while the increase in students was only 50%. So the NEA's bottom line tripled while teachers wages understandably stagnated. The NEA national headquarters alone employs more than 350 people with yearly compensations over $100,000. And some are concerned about introducing the profit motive to education?

Likewise voters concerned with education, regardless of their politics, must come to grips with the fact that no positive educational reforms -absolutely none- will come from electing progressivescontemporary liberals. Their long-term goal is a one-size-fits-all socialism where sadly all may be mired in mediocrity just so long as we're equal.Our founders, however, recognized independence and competition as the driving forces behind American exceptionalism and I hope you will consider voting in the interest of competition within education .