[kingu]

It is the politicians who constantly push for these things, plus longer school days and years.

I must have missed those campaign speeches... 'If elected, I promise to make teachers who aren't under my control adhere to a learning tracking system which was developed by a teacher union funded think tank, and then, again, something not under my control, I'll expand the school day!'

Yeah, pretty sure it is a self inflicted wound, by teachers continuing to support the unions that are their own undoing. After all, if the work day is expanded, so must too the salaries, benefits, and most of all: union contributions.

[EinNYC]

In NYC, you MUST belong to the union in order to work as a teacher. You have no choice. And the ultra-liberal Unity party within the union is firmly entrenched, although a new, more conservative party made a decent showing at the last election.

So, your statement "...teachers continuing to support the unions that are their own undoing...." is not exactly true. Teachers may very well not want to support the union, but they must in order to have a job.