>Hi Dale,
>
>Seems most of what I read on education in the U.S. is negative. It's been sliding here too.
>
>But it is only infrequently that we hear how poorly teachers there are paid, generally. It seems to me that poor pay results in poor incentive, both to attract good people into the field (and especially to have them stay) and for teachers to go any 'extra mile'.
>
>FYI, blowing $$$ on buildings happens here too. The administrators seem to take care of themselves.
>But here it isn't limited to schools. I attend a hospital regularly and they've just finished replacing 3 perfectly serviceable buildings with 3 spanking new ones. Even thougth the problem, for the last 10+ years, has been TIMELY ACCESS to certain medical services!

Sounds exactly like my home town!!