[RavenATB]

I was a teacher, my wife was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher, and I have literally dozens of other relatives who are or were teachers. I don't need you to explain the cost or bureaucracy to me. I've been there. I've been in those trenches. I've listened to teachers brag in the lounge about having never changed their lesson plans in the 30 years following their receipt of tenure. I've listened to union leaders tell school teachers to get their butts out of the school as soon as the final bell ring--to do nothing "extra."

You can play your game of trying to analyze my "anger," proclaim my "ignorance," project my "hatred," and play all those diversionary games all you like. Public education is a disaster, and public school teachers as a group are a huge part of the problem. Your wife may or may not be one of the the "good ones," but that doesn't change the fact that there are one hell of a lot of bad ones. And, having been a teacher, I can tell you that one bad teacher can totally change the course of education for a child.

[Amelia]

Public education is a disaster, and public school teachers as a group are a huge part of the problem. Your wife may or may not be one of the the "good ones," but that doesn't change the fact that there are one hell of a lot of bad ones. And, having been a teacher, I can tell you that one bad teacher can totally change the course of education for a child.

"My wife" is not a teacher. I am the wife, and the teacher, in my household.

I choose to believe that one good teacher can change a child's life.

I'm guessing you work in the northeast. My experience with unions doesn't parallel yours, but unions aren't nearly as strong or active in the South.

I've worked in a school where the teachers were as hidebound as you describe, but I've also worked in schools where most of the teachers were knowledgable, caring, and worked extra hours, bought many materials out-of-pocket, and generally went the extra mile for their students.

Were you and your dozens of teacher relatives as awful as the stereotypical public school teacher you describe?

I think there is plenty of blame to go around for the state of public education today - some for teachers, some for parents, some for judges & politicians and bureaucrats in general.

The state of education basically mirrors that of society in general, and IMO both have been going downhill since about the 1960s.

We've had the baby-boomers, the "me-generation", Dr. Spock & the self-esteem movement....all of these undermined discipline in the home and in the schools.

The feminist movement meant that there were fewer mothers at home for their children, more broken homes, and also there was a bigger variety of careers available for bright women -- which meant that many women chose a "real career" over being "just a teacher" or "just a mother", leading to the devaluing of "traditional women's work".

There's plenty of blame to go around, and I haven't even scratched the surface.