Where do Michelle Rhee's children go to school? Glad you asked....

[Divernan]

212. It's frustrating that you distorted what I wrote.

If you would be so kind as to re-read it, you will see that nowhere did I refer to what individual teachers do or don't do. Did I say they were responsible for the size of their classes? No. did I say they decide what technology is available? No. Did I say teachers have power to expand science programs? No.

I'm a union member myself, and my grandfather was involved in fighting the Pinkertons in organizing the coal miners. The purpose of unions is strength through numbers, and to pressure employers, in part through public opinion.

Look. On the one side you have the school board, members of which don't get re-elected if they approve tax increases, side by side with superintendents who typically suck up to the school board to keep their jobs. On the other side you have the teachers, represented by their unions, who know what works for maximizing the quality of education. While I didn't fault individual teachers for not speaking up; or refer to individual teachers at all, I did fault the unions for not getting the word out to the community to build up support for funding improvements. And by improvements, I do not mean salary increases in excess of cost of living adjustments. I mean increasing staff to reduce the class sizes and broaden the scope of course offerings, and improving technology. Another poster courteously pointed out to me, teachers' unions do negotiate for such things,but the main stream media only report on the salary aspects of union negotiations. Teachers' unions need to do a more aggressive job of educating the public and getting the word out.

No, I did not follow what went on in Chicago - I live in a different part of the country. I did, however, include a post on this thread pointing out Rahm Emanuel's hypocricy in sending his kids to an elite private school which opposes the changes he's imposed on Chicago schools.