The valid part of the OP's point is that the people doing the hardest and most thankless teaching jobs aren't going to be the ones rewarded because they aren't going to be the ones with the best stats, which does have some truth to it. Merit pay in public sector jobs sounds a whole lot better than it usually works out to be for these reasons. It generally does more to discourage the best people from staying in the jobs that need them than anything else - there is a basic economic imperative to either get into one of the jobs that is likely to produce better stats, suck up to the fatcats administering the merit pay system (and fumbling management of the school system), or just get pissed off and leave for greener pastures.
So how do you explain the military? Sure there are **** ups and, like most government run organization it's a numbers game. But in general the quality of people is superior. Granted, they don't have a union, but they don't get bitchy and complacent like teachers do either. I see a constant striving for excellence with the Marines I know.
Honestly, I know this is one area where I'm very intolerant and hardcore, but schools aren't going to change unless and until parents take a greater interest in their children's education. I don't mean the usual show up for conferences, make sure the kiddies do their homework, and make sure we live in a neighborhood with "good" schools. For several generations we've been content to let the education establishment dictate what our children learn and how they learn it. Pretty much, that lack of curiosity gives us "leaders" like Barak Obama...all suit and no substance.
When parents were directly responsible for their education, before children became a social experiment, literacy rates were in the 80 to 90 percentile and values reflected those of their families and communities. Parents had a vested interest because their children's success was a reflection of them, not proof that they lived in a neighborhood with "good" schools. Frankly, if you could raise one of those pre-public school 12 year olds from the dead and pit him against your average 12 year old from a "good" school, my money would be on the first kid.
Unfortunately, most people either don't think they can or don't want to make the sacrifices that might be necessary to make sure their children have the best education possible. Like "good Germans" we live in a society where we've been conditioned to believe both parents HAVE to work. This is exactly what Mann, Dewey, Baldwin (founder of the ACLU...there's a rather incestuous history between the NEA & ACLU), etal. had in mind. Thomas Jefferson must be rolling over in his grave.
Now, I'm not necessarily talking about homeschooling though I think it's a superior education and was the solution for my family. But, it is possible to volunteer and be at school every day, talk to teachers everyday, be home when your kids get there everyday. I know it's a huge sacrifice. I was an Administrative Assistant to the manager upscale shopping center and office complex. I REALLY loved that job and it was damned hard to live without the money, especially at first. When most of my friends were on their 3rd house in the newest $300,000 neighborhood, we were just buying our first for $75,000.
Simply put, it's where you put your priorities. Every family needs to choose what works for them, but if you're going to put their education in the hands of others you kind of have to take what you get. I think that's part of the reason why private schools do so well. You pay that much for something and you want your money's worth. A radical overhaul is the only way to change the status quo and that will take a helluva lot more work than homeschooling.
Cindie
