To make an analogy: the Trabant was an East German Car. This is how it was described:
It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling points was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell and that it was fast (when introduced) and durable. With its mediocre performance, smoky two-stroke engine, and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany
Ditching the teacher's union would be like trading an expensive Trabant for a less expensive Trabant. It might be cheaper, but it's still a Trabant.
Single payer monopolies NEVER work. Getting rid of the union would just make a crappy education cheaper. Individual parents must control the purse strings, and it must be their own money. That is the only way schools can be held accountable.
Don't misunderstand me though, I'm all for outlawing the teacher's unions and ending tenure (if parents had to pay for their children's education, both would disappear). I just don't think a dramatic improvement in education would result.
Thank you for the comments. I agree. Schools of Education (just as Schools of Journalism and Schools of Government) are factories designed to forge lock-step socialists, not teachers who know their subject matter and who care about instilling knowledge and love of country into their students.