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I am a schoolteacher . . . in the private schools. Yes, I have better students and a nicer working environment. But I also have no job security whatsoever and far, far less take-home pay than I would in a government school. But it is worth it to me to keep my sanity. The government schools are a joke. Why should it be so alarming to any teacher or parent that one must ". . . provide a reason and a note when the child is missing for a day... becasue No Child Left Behind requires it." Are we not supposed to be held accountable for the children in our charge? I don't understand. All I know is that the government schools and most of their union-protected employees are just part of the great bureaucratic blob, self-interested, self-perpetuating, self-aggrandizing, caring little or nothing about the actual education of children.

. . provide a reason and a note when the child is missing for a day... becasue No Child Left Behind requires it." Are we not supposed to be held accountable for the children in our charge?

When I walk into a school and tell them that my daughter had appointments or that I need to remove her from school an hour early...I dont expect to be told that I have to write a note asking permission or telling them additonal details. I am her mother. I use my best mother judgement. I am accountable to God...for my daughter's well being, not some government school.

All I know is that the government schools and most of their union-protected employees are just part of the great bureaucratic blob, self-interested, self-perpetuating, self-aggrandizing, caring little or nothing about the actual education of children.

As a former teacher in government schools I can say that long before NCLB parents had to excuse partial and full day absense for their children. My son's school wanted a call in the morning of the absense in liu of a note. (Remember the joke about the school official who asked, "Who is this?" and the kid replied, "This is my Mother".)

You are of course correct about public school teachers being paid well for not carring one whit about the kids education. (In general this is the union's view, there are specific teachers who care a great deal.) But you are wrong about job security. After 10 years I was laid off on a strictly senority basis. If they had gone on subject matter, subject mastery, or merit I would have been kept and some other teacher closer to retirement would have been laid off. But Asi es la vida. Enjoy your work, and don't be too upset about the pay. Save and invest for your retirement, and enjoy that too.