Teachers' Union Mentality

"The people who test students internationally told us that two factors predict a country's educational success:  Do the schools have the autonomy to experiment, and do parents have a choice?"

In the U.S., government spending on education, adjusted for inflation, has nearly doubled since 1980.   Test scores have remained flat for decades.

•   Mayor Duffy seeks control of schools so poor kids with no other choice might have a fighting chance for a decent education.   Rochester teachers' and affiliated unions shut down a Democratic fundraiser because the Democratic Mayor, and Party Chairman Morelle (so far), support mayoral control.

•   Desperate parents of poor kids in Washington D.C. beg Obama to continue school voucher program, the only thing that's helped their kids learn so far.   Obama kills the program.   D.C teachers union head tells Washington Post, about the voucher program, "Parents are voting with their feet. ... As kids continue leaving the system, we will lose teachers.  Our very survival depends on having kids in D.C. schools so we'll have teachers to represent."

  Those teachers' unions know how to keep their priorities straight!