I didn't sense much fear mongering from the Teacher's Union as I did total and utter annoyance. Coming from a family of professional educators, and being a semi-professional educator myself, I can understand their aggravation. For way to long western parents have taken it for granted that teachers will raise their children for them.
No longer is education a valued public service either. I grew up in a traditional farming community where teachers were still more or less respected. My parents, for all their flaws, still insisted I respect my teachers. Mind you, my old man before turning to farming had gotten his degree in education, had definite expectations of my teachers as well.
He expected them to teach and to be fair.
My grandmother, a UK trained Educator, taught in various schools for over 32 years. She is the one who taught me that it is ok to challenge the veracity of a Teacher's claims in the classroom. She didn't mean be rude about it either, and nor did she imply it was fine and dandy to challenge a teacher's information unsupported.
This of course landed me in hot water in my public high school, but the end result was my World History teacher, a fairly cool old dude, pulling me aside and telling me to approach him after class if I wanted to argue with him about a various point of disagreement. Which I did, fairly often, and with much enjoyment. To some extent I think he enjoyed it as well as it kept him on his toes a bit.
Education today, in America, is a band aid to a slew of social issues.
No daddy at home, well go to school for your male guidance.
Can't read properly, no worries we'll make special time for you despite over-crowding.
Don't want to speak English, no worries.. Ebonics, Spanish, or Lower Slobovian assistance is avaliable.
Don't feel like doing your homework because you are a semi-moronic football player.. no worries.. we've always found ways to cheat.
Personally, if I had a child I wouldn't send them to a public school for more than half a day. I'd find some damn way of working out my schedule so that either myself or the missus is at home doing a half days worth of schooling in something useful. Given the modern computer driven era we live in I'd have no qualms about resorting to online college courses either to push the kid ahead of his/her age group.
I would still have the kid go to public school for half the day as I don't want them thinking they are growing up in a cult-lunatic family of gun loving rednecks with a siege mentality. I would really prefer the wee one to have some friends and maybe play a sport or two.
I draw the line at theater though. No kid of mine will ever dress up in leotards and do Peter Pan. Well.. depends when they ask.. If I'm on the piss I'd probably say yes and regret it later.
