Jobs, Dell share stage, blast Teacher Unions

Mac News Network ^ | February 16, 2007

[anymouse]

Liberals only care about poor education when it affects their pocketbook.

[george76]

Steve Jobs on Friday spared no words in criticizing the state of public schools and the teacher unions, saying that schools were never likely to improve until principals could fire bad teachers...

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[samiam1972]

My kids attend a textbook free classroom. It's in my dining room! We use real literature and the internet. No boring texts in our school! :o)

[Radix]

"Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction."

"The broad masses of a population are more amenable to the appeal of rhetoric than to any other force."

Hitler "mein kampf"

[FormerACLUmember]

Jobs and Dell are razor sharp on the mark. Outstanding!

The corrupt, incompetent Teachers Unions are destroying our children and our wallets. Where I live 80% of my massive property taxes go to pay for teachers salaries for really bad educational services.

One out of four delegates at the Democrat National Convention are either members of a Teachers Union, or married to one.

[gas0linealley]

This is atleast the third time this has been posted, but that's okay, it provokes discussion.

[gas0linealley]

Have you ever taught in a public school?

[WorkingClassFilth]

I thought the percentage was far more than a modest 25%. If meemory serves, the last RAT convention was something on the order of 60%+. I'm sure somebody here knows. In any event, it was/is an astounding figure.

[DustyMoment]

saying that schools were never likely to improve until principals could fire bad teachers.

While I agree that crappy teachers and the teacher unions are a big part of the problem, it isn't the entire problem. Teachers are also getting crappy curriculum handed down to them by the government (state or federal; it doesn't matter). When I was in school (shortly before the invention of the wheel - LOL!) teachers developed their own curriculum as long as it met state requirements.

The formula involves more than just good teachers - it requires good teachers + good curriculum + involved parents + motivated students + strong school spirit.

Teachers live for the moment when the light comes on in a kid's head as he/she "gets it". But, when a teacher (even a crappy teacher) has bad curriculum (as most do these days) it's hard to develop any enthusiasm for the job which, in turn, is PART of the reason that the students aren't motivated. They know when the teacher isn't excited about his/her subject, and that lack of excitement transfers to the kids.

It's great that people like Jobs and the Dell folks are shining a spotlight on this fire, but they need to ensure that they keep ALL of the elements in the light, not just the most visible elements.

[D-Chivas]

Teachers should be able to fire bad parents. That's the biggest problem I've seen over the years.

[ken21]

when gov roy romer resigned from the los angeles public schools he admitted that, we've lost the ability to teach reading to first graders!

and then there was the illegal family that moved to lexington, ky. their relatives from l.a. visited and it turned out that their 2nd grader in lexington could read better than the cousin, an l.a. high school grad!

[WorkingClassFilth]

I agree with just about everything you say, but it still stands that the main impediment to reform is the NEA and the RAT party funded by the NEA (the RAT's no. 1 or 2 donor). Since they won't let go of the system as it is, nothing will be reformed and alternatives will continue to be in jeopardy.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

And also teachers should be able to expel bad students. There is no accountability anywhere.

And finally, bring back corporal punishment in schools.

[Herakles]

Education needs to be defunded; performance only occurs thru competition (for scarce resources). All great inventions used every day; car, tv, electricity, airplane, computer, etc., were invented by people who had educations before teacher unions existed; and none of them had a PhD.! all patents now come from India and China

[EDINVA]

I'll believe Jobs when he stops supporting Democrats who are inseparable from the teachers unions.

[Cacique]

btt

[proxy_user]

OK, so far in this thread we've fired the teachers, the students, the parents, the principals, and the state legislature.

It's not radical reform, but it's a start.

[ClearCase_guy]

OK, so far in this thread we've fired the teachers, the students, the parents, the principals, and the state legislature.

The correct interpretation of these sentiments is: Use the Free Market system!

If teachers are the problem, the private school should fire them!
If the student is a problem, they should be expelled!
If the parents are the problem, the student should be expelled!
If the administrators are the problem, parents should pull their kids out and choose a better school!

All of these things are easy to do, if parents can use the Free Market to make choices in how their children will be educated. BUT, if government schools (and those pesky legislators) have a near monopoly in education, then parents and schools have limited options and we all get stuck with a mess.

Government should have no role in education.

[WorkingClassFilth]

How 'bout redefining things a bit?

1. Teachers - performance based incentives and the ability to fire the incompetents. There is no room for the NEA.
2. Students - get rid of the dead wood if they won't learn. Wipe out ADA crap and return corporal punishment. If the little darlings don't want to learn, society should put special education monies into building more supermax prisons.
3. Parents - ought to be responsible for their kiddies. If their kids aren't making the grade, too bad. Concerned parents will bend over backward to help their children. Those that aren't, won't. If Johnny can't read and decides to trash the school or assault the teacher, well, Mom or Dad, both or neither can cash in their assets to pay for damages.
4. Principals - Get competent, results oriented managers in this position. PC professionals need not apply. Salaries need to be knocked down to private sector levels for admin types. Performance pay like the teachers.
5. State and Fed interlopers - 'nuff said. They shouldn't have a thing to do with setting curriculum or interference in any area.

Of course, to achieve any of this, the lawyers would have to be reigned in first (probably killed).

Now, that, IMO, would be a modest start.

[Tribune7]

I don't think problems with public schools is going to have that much impact on Steve Jobs pocketbook, at least compared to mine.

God Bless You, Steve Jobs.