Teachers

I'm re-posting this commentary from Robert Reich's blog.  The former Clinton administration Secretary of Labor says it like it is.   

Robert Reich:

"Every time I hear someone dump on public school teachers I think of my sister, who I’m now visiting in Massachusetts. She’s been teaching high school English for years, and is so dedicated that despite a life-threatening illness she still gives her students everything she has. (She dashed off minutes ago, cutting short our breakfast in order to advise some of them on a extra-curricular project.) My sister isn’t all that unique. With few exceptions, the public school teachers I’ve known over the years are among the most committed people I know, working long hours for relatively little pay on one of the most important tasks of our society – educating our children. Yes, the tenure system has to be reformed, and a few teachers aren't doing a good enough job. But these aren't the real problem. Our public school teachers have become scapegoats for a system that’s underfunded, underequipped, underappreciated, and overwhelmed."

Steve's post script:

Nobody goes into teaching to get rich.  People become teachers because they like kids and want to dedicate their lives to helping them learn and grow.  So, what gives?  Well, the correlation between parental income level and their children's academic achievement is nearly absolute.   The larger the poverty-level population grows the greater the societal and educational dysfunction that mirrors it.  We must tackle income inequality in a serious way if we want this to improve.  It's not teachers unions or the latest fad educational theory that is to blame or is the solution.  Parents who value learning, model responsible life choices and insist on achievement are the solution.