re: #1 1Peter G1

I think in many respects they invite criticism. For one thing no one makes more noise about the parlous state of education in America than teachers, or more accurately their unions. Yet any rational person with a basic understanding of statistics can tell you that education across most of America is doing just fine and requires no massive investments of tax resources. The PISA scores are very enlightening. One could ask therefore why the unions are constantly demanding more money or better benefits or better pensions as if these things would in any way improve the performance of students. Obviously they can’t. The solution? Get rid of measures of performance. On the whole though teachers are more fortunate than, say, police officers. When a teacher gets caught in a sexual relationship with a student we don’t set out to prove all teachers are perverts.

Yeah, right. Teach for America, NCLB and Race to the Top, charter schools and vouchers have all come from teachers. Is that what you are seriously arguing here? In fact, most of the present-day school reforms have come from the top down, from people who have little or no experience teaching in the classroom. The reformists’ idol, Michelle Rhee, only worked two years in the classroom before refashioning herself as a school reform expert.

Paying teachers more and giving them better benefits does not ensure students will get better test scores, or learn more. On that point, you’re probably correct. But, better pay and benefits would keep teachers in the classrooms longer, which in the long run would make for more effective teaching and for better learning outcomes. Most new teachers bail out within five years. Why? There are better paying jobs, with fewer hassles and more respect given them.

Your non sequitur about cops and teachers makes no damn sense, and I won’t even comment on it further.

Americans dump on teachers because Americans think anyone can teach. They think teaching is easy. Most of us have been in classrooms, but we only see what teachers do there. Only people who have teachers as close friends or family members realize the many hours teachers put in behind the scenes, outside the classroom, to make their performance in the classroom look so effortless. And, as with anything, experience helps a lot. Keeping teachers in the profession longer would benefit everyone. As far as I am concerned, that point is inarguable.