I have a theory about people who attack public school teachers: Many of those who devalue and disrespect the work of public school teachers do not have the ability, backbone, chutzpah, strength to teach.
In the most recent election in Ohio, Republican John Kasich, swore to "break the back of the teachers unions" in the schools. That kind of message lets me know that Kasich has no idea about what it takes to be able to teach in a public school. He probably is unaware of the educational background of the public school teachers. Most teachers are probably more highly educated than Kasich. Teachers continue to train, work on graduate degrees, special certification, and licenses, during the school year and summers. (Note: Kasich cannot claim that his cushy $50,000/year at Ohio State as a lecturer for an hour or two per month was teaching experience.)
What does Mr. Kasich hope to gain by attacking teachers' unions? A majority of the teachers in the state are female. Does Kasich think that he can push around these teachers because they are more females represented?
In today's Columbus Dispatch, Joe Hallett's commentary shows that the Dispatch and Mr. Hallett are gleeful about the Governor-elect Kasich. Hallett adds fuel to the fire by stating:
...Kasich has the guts to do what he believes must be done. It is well past time that a governor take on Ohio's bloated education bureaucracy and its reform-stifling teachers unions. Kasich will do so.
It is well past time that a governor demand that local governments, including school districts, start consolidating and sharing the costs of services. Kasich will do so...
Wow. What are the "reform-stifling teachers unions" that Hallett mentions? What evidence does he have that teachers are stopping reforms?
I'm sure that Hallett must have some knowledge about Kasich's plans. I just don't know if parents will gladly give up their local school districts, school identities, lack of local control and input, and jump on the bandwagon to consolidate districts. Exactly which people will make the decision to have one district to combine with another district? Would the parents in Bexley support uniting with the Whitehall school district?
It is possible that Kasich will do what Gov. Schwarzenegger did in California - declare a fiscal emergency and lower all state employees pay rates to the minimum wage, dismiss teachers, cut the length of the school year, require unpaid teacher furloughs, etc.? State workers have already been required to take unpaid days off for quite some time now. This has decreased the pays of the state employees.
Even though a majority of Ohio voters voted against him, we are stuck with Kasich for the next four years.