>And they get money. Lots of it. Public schools are in a can't loose spot where if they are performing poorly it's a funding problem.

Funny you mention that. Slightly off-topic but still generally relevant - the latest media spin on the IRS and proposed budget cuts are that if the IRS had a bigger budget, the "targeting" wouldn't have occurred.

(Imagine if that "affluenza" teen in Texas who stole booze, liquored up while driving, and killed someone, had claimed that if only he'd had better parents, he wouldn't have done bad things).

I'm personally surprised that MSNBC has such low ratings. It's the best form of comedy on TV. If you haven't already seen it, go check out Joy Reid's segment from earlier today on the Washington Redskins. I haven't laughed that hard since my last road trip with JB.


OK, back to funding. Based on the US spending per capita on education, it's not a funding problem. At one point in this country's history, unions served a valuable role, especially in industries where safety was an issue. But the NEA is about one thing: power. I fully believe Bill F's story about his kid and the teacher/principal. But those stories are usually the exception.