When you blather about "..contracts...negotiated in good faith" while using our children as the hostages, you´ve lost me. Contracts and negotiations have no place in the education system, just like the feds have no place there. Don´t preach at me until you´ve broken that union.

Public school teachers come in all varieties. But teachers unions are the ones with the political punch. They´re the ones that suck up taxpayer money and funnel it back to the Democrats.

It´s a problem, because the most politically active teachers -- the squeaky wheels -- are the most leftist and the worst for our kids.

Certainly there are lots of good teachers out there and it is counterproductive to fail to work to attract teachers. This needs to be seriously worked by the party.

However, it seems at times that the government schools in some regions are teaching that America is a bad place with an evil history and there is no reason to revere and respect our Constitution, institutions and history. I am certain that this is not the dominant view in parts of the country, but it seems to predominate in others.

Often, it appears that the public schools in liberal parts of the country are the fifth column, destroying the country from within. Are the teachers victims or collaborators in this situation?

One problem is that teachers are paid by taxes, so they see self interest in high tax rates and lots of government largess. This is not part of ´small government´.

I applaud the sentiments here. Conservatives need to learn how to present their ideas to natural constituencies without being patently offensive or overly simplistic.

Consider this- most new teachers are young women from middle class homes. In addition to learning on the job (and often with little support, especially in urban schools) they are simultaneously taking graduate classes at night in order to achieve certification within the ridiculously short time span allowed. At the same time they are getting married and wanting to start their own families. They haven´t the ability to process, on their own, the disconnect between leftist politics and the destruction of the traditional family - the very element that would make their work more rewarding.

When we learn how to talk to teachers, the voice of conservatives will also reach other groups. We have a long way to go.
Ramona (the Pest)

Great article, and it expresses the frustrations of so many of us in the teaching profession. It disappoints me to see negative comments towards teachers.

"...their angry tenor feels dismissive of all public school teachers. Powerful men talking down to hardworking women is not an image the GOP should be promoting."

Exactly. This angry tenor cost the Republicans the last election. I am not a teacher. I voted for Romney, but I was put off by the 47% language. I have a disabled adult relative. I have senior citizen relatives. The fact that I am a caregiver for them doesn´t mean that I am a "taker", nor does it mean that I´m a "lost cause" for Republicans. (The 47% statistic wasn´t just people receiving government funds, but all of their household members.) The senior citizens paid in for many, many years. The disabled adult would love to be well enough to work. When you denigrate us...you turn off a lot of people who would be with you on values.

There are, indeed, many fine teachers with good values yet who are struggling under the entrenched bureaucracy. Attack the bureaucracy, but applaud the teachers who do the best they can under the restrictions put upon them.

#4, and we should like the prospects of lower fuel and energy costs with helping those middle class and low-income voters.

And how that energy boom would help fund states, counties and cities with NEW tax revenues that will help fund teachers, police and fire.

Rally around this notion, and how the obstacle is the extreme positions of the environment lobby groups.

So, now we start to produce good-paying jobs in energy, we stimulate other aspects of our economy as a result, we add NEW tax revenues, and we rally public employees to the cause all while reducing the increase in our energy costs advocated by those environment lobby groups.

I’d be surprised if more than 20% of teachers give a rat’s rear end about the student’s education. On the top of most of their priority lists is big fat taxpayer paid raises, perks, and retirement in their fifties.

Agree there are amazing teachers out there, however any conservative teachers should separate themselves from the NEA, the unions and their tactics. It is hard to have a good opinion of teachers after seeing what occurred at the Wisconsin state house and other places. Furthermore, this teacher is painting the repubs/conservatives with the same broad brush she accuses the repubs/conservatives of painting them with.
Many parents and community members are trying to help them, both in the classroom and to throw off the union and NEA. Charter schools are one way to reduce the power of those organizations. When will everyone see the only winners of government run public education are the NEA and the union leadership?

A poster was turned off by Romney´s comment concerning the 47%. I was turned off bv Obama´s comment that he was going to fundamentally transform America. Which comment is the more dangerous?

Poster #7 is right on the mark - teachers need to understand that their livelihood will be more stable and secure when we produce our own energy (employing taxpayers who contribute 100% of teachers´ wages). This is precisely the kind of argument we need to be making.

Ramona (the Pest)

Teachers?

When you´re in a Union, you´ve given due notice you organized against the very people who pay your wages.

Karen Lewis, Chicago is the gruesome end result.

Do not expect this to end well as long as you choose to organize against us.

I have taught in Unionized Florida and non union North Carolina. Benefits and conditions are better in North Carolina. The inherent problm in education is social promotion and curriculum dictated by one world ideas embeded in all academic areas thru the use of media. Not only are text books biased but in the computer age all learning gets constant subtle messages of leftist ideas. Look at TV educational programs such as Nature and science channel and History channel.You will constantly hear leftist ideas in science(Global warming,Animal abuse). Travel and history show leftist governments as ideal thruout the world. Charter scools under local control will be the only way for us to retake control of our education system.Look at your childs books and assignments and get involved.

Did you know half the children in 25 states are independently educated?

http://www.schoolandstate.org/home.htm

I am against government involvement in schooling. I think if people who can afford it write checks each month (or semester) for their kid´s education they will take a much more serious look at what goes on with their money.

And if there is no government involvement then there is no school board determining the characteristics for everyone: each school would have its own board and be answerable to the parents at that school.

If you want your kid to be unexposed to religion? Choose such a school. You want magnificent sports? Ditto.

I think alternative funding for those who need help is easily possible without involving government.

There is a disconnect between rank and file teachers and their union leadership. The NEA is no different that the Mine Workers´ union, whose leadership supported President Zero. Same with the Steelworkers´ union.
Good, competent teachers are too busy teaching to particpate in the machinations of union politics.

My sweet wife, a retired USAF LtCol, is currently a public school teacher. It is just before 1300 hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon here in Mississippi and she is "at work." She left the house about three hours ago so she could "catch up" for the coming school week. She leaves the house about 0530 each day and is usually home around 1800 hours. She works at least one day on the weekend. She does not do it for the "money" but in fact for the kids. By the way, no Union pressure down here in "God´s Country." I salute her and all the other good people who are doing "it" for the kids...

It is a mistake for politicians to think of themselves as powerful. The power belongs to us the People and we hire them to represent us. They should not be exerting their power on schools because it outside the limits of their constitutional authority.

It is the Democrats who have interfered mightily and a genuine effort needs to be made to keep the Federal government out of the schools.

I´m not a fan of the public schools.
Vouchers and home school are the only solutions that spring to mind. Until parents have real choices, kids will continue to languish.
Teachers shouldn´t be afraid of privatizing education. The best ones will rise to the top and increase their fortunes. The worst ones ought to find employment elsewhere anyway.

I think a true conservative would not need to be pandered to, whether teacher, police or plumber. fta- ´but many simply feel that the only respect they receive comes from the Democratic party.´ In a nutshell, ´´many´´. The majority of liberal progressive became teachers as their means of molding young skulls full of mush & to gain union protection [...NYC rubber rm teachers?]. My 52yo sis became a teacher 12 yrs ago after being the traditional mom who stayed home to raise her family. AFter the uber-liberal education requirements for that degree she was brainwashed to accept any shape-shifting morality that suits the leadership´s definition of equal access. Most extreme example: 7-8yo boy in 2nd grade classroom begins to master-[de]bate at his table in class. By her school´s demand & supported by her union rep, she must immediately take her entire class out of the room to library/lunch room until he is finished with his ´act´. Is that the sane reaction to such vile shenanigans by a reasonable, conservative leaning teacher instead of taking Johnny to the principal or smacking him with a ruler and saying NO? She´s held captive to liberal pyscho-drivel BY the union & other ´good´ teachers refusing to stand up to progressives in charge.

If a = b, who needs a?