The Modern Plantation
This is guest blogger Wile E Coyote.
Over 50 years ago, economist Milton Friedman recommended that education funded by the state be provided through vouchers.
Here is an article featuring observations from Newt Gingrich describing how Detroit's government school fail the students and feed the bureaucracy.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/OPINION01/708080311/1008
One reason bureaucracies fixate on school "diversity" is that they can claim success in education without the kids actually having to learn anything.
States mandate school attendance for children up to 16. In many districts, these places have become modern plantations, where the young are sacrificed to the unionized overseers that live off the plantations and render tribute to their masters in the Democrat Party. (You may find this metaphor ugly, but it is much less ugly than the reality of many government schools.)
Where is Harry Belafonte when you need him?
Over 50 years ago, economist Milton Friedman recommended that education funded by the state be provided through vouchers.
Here is an article featuring observations from Newt Gingrich describing how Detroit's government school fail the students and feed the bureaucracy.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/OPINION01/708080311/1008
One reason bureaucracies fixate on school "diversity" is that they can claim success in education without the kids actually having to learn anything.
States mandate school attendance for children up to 16. In many districts, these places have become modern plantations, where the young are sacrificed to the unionized overseers that live off the plantations and render tribute to their masters in the Democrat Party. (You may find this metaphor ugly, but it is much less ugly than the reality of many government schools.)
Where is Harry Belafonte when you need him?
posted by LadybugUSA at 7:25 AM
6 Comments:
I strongly favor vouchers and I agree that teacher's unions have been obstructing progress in educational reform. However, I find your metaphor hyperbolic. The vast majority of teachers are intensely motivated to advance their students. Very few see their jobs as sinecures or regard their students as slaves to be exploited.
Your post is of the same intellectual merit as the accusations of racism leveled against supporters of vouchers.
Coyote here.
You stated, "The vast majority of teachers are intensely motivated to advance their students."
You previously asked me for statistics to back up a statement about media bias in covering Iraq. May I not ask for the same from you in this situation?
Fair enough. I'll retract the statement and replace it with the following:
I have known a great many teachers at all levels of education and the vast majority I have known are intensely motivated to help their students.
I'll also add that I have known a few older teachers who were burned out and just waiting for retirement.
Seriously, do you question the motivation of our teachers as a group?
Coyote here.
I question the motivation of bureaucracies and monopolies as a group.
This said, if we agree on the essential point concerning the desirability of vouchers, I am content.
Find me a teacher's union that support vouchers, and I will even conceed the motivation issue.
I think that most teachers have convinced themselves that what is in their personal interest is also in the interest of the students. They are incorrect in this, of course, but I think they are certainly sincere in their desire to help students. Their dishonesty comes when they attempt to rationalize opposition to vouchers.
But yes, we are in agreement on the basic point that a voucher system would be more effective than the current system.
Very nice exchange of comments, guys - an example I would like to see and follow more often.
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