And then along came Maggie Thatcher:
Those Post Office workers had totally misunderstood that package-in-the-hole moment that I had had with one of them, and millions upon millions of other moments like it, stretching back through the decades. They, the Postal Workers, imagined that at the end of such moments, The Public walked away full of love and gratitude for the Postal Workers. But actually, we walked away full of pent-up rage. We had had to force ourselves to fake love and gratitude, and hated the Postal Workers all the more because of this. They had believed our performances. They really thought that we really were full of love and gratitude for them. Big mistake. Huge mistake.He points out that the Wisconsin Teacher's Union is finding themselves short of public support, when faced with a Governor and Legislature that the public just elected to solve the budget problem. The union seems astonished to find that they have to bus in supporters from out of state, and that the public seems entirely lacking in sympathy.
Come the day when the tables were turned by a politician who was aggregating all our rage into a force majeure moment which left them trying to persuade her to do what they wanted, they were helpless.
Now I don't know much about the public schools in Wisconsin, but I do know about the ones in Sudbury, Massachusetts. My kids went to those schools. The teachers there are generally pretty good. But if the Administrators of Sudbury High School spontaneously burst into flame, I wouldn't pee on them to put it out.
I'm not going to go into detail, because it really isn't anyone's business. However, I will say that I was abused by the Administrators, in front of my family, so badly that I would only ever go back into the school for #1 Son's graduation. And I am absolutely convinced that the Administrators (a) thought it was For My Own Good, and (b) thought that I should be grateful.
I don't know how many more people there are like me, who smile when the fox gnaws so that your kid will get the stupid paper and get out. I can say that there is precisely zero good will that these teacher's unions can count on, when they find their back against the wall. And note that this isn't a policy issue - whether an extra point of marginal tax rate is good or bad for the State.
This is personal.
I would add 'the Ivy League schools' to the list of those who no longer provide benefit to the nation. They have huge endowments, but we commoners in fly-over country are also forced to subsidize them. These "private" schools are awash in taxpayer money for everything from government backed student loans to research grants. In days gone by, it could be argued that they provided a public service.
ReplyDeleteIn thousands of ways they now demonstrate that they hate America and Americans.
It's long past time we acknowledge their 'learned opinions', and cut them off.
"Ivy League, Delende Est"
I agree with you about the amount of public support for the Wisco public employee unions.
ReplyDeleteSustained arrogance is a deadly disease.
Great post!
Sofa, what's interesting is that the Administrator in question had her Harvard diploma prominently displayed on the wall of her office.
ReplyDeleteThat's probably enough of a clue to anyone who really wants to dig to identify the guilty party.
And I am absolutely convinced that the Administrators (a) thought it was For My Own Good, and (b) thought that I should be grateful.
ReplyDeleteWow, they sound like bona-fide Progressives!
I hate Unions at one time i was forced to join one then came the miners strike our union put up or subs then gave a HUGE amount of our money to the striking miners the union had done nothing for me in the years i had been a member but take money of me,so i took my membership card put it in the post and sent it back to the union sec along with a note as to were he could stuff it,at the same time i went free lance and never had any more trouble with them.Oh they did know my hobby was shooting just to be fair.
ReplyDeleteYou hit it front and center.
ReplyDeleteI remember the commercials and drives back in the 70's and 80's where the big movie/tv star would look mournfully into the camera and tell you how teachers made less money than dirt farmers and how the very future of our children were at stake. Everyone felt bad and the teachers unions rode a wavew of public support. 30 years later, after many billions of dollars spent propping up a declining public school system, that good will is now as gone as the Dodo.
ReplyDeleteMrs. TOTWTYTR cold tell you about inept administrators. I know a lot of teachers, all of them hard working. Everyone of them complains about their administration.
ReplyDeleteIn many cases the people who run the schools and the union officials are on the same side against the teachers. They undermine them when it comes to security in the classroom, disciplining students, curriculum, grading, and every other aspect of education.
As the Mrs. says, "Nothing in the public schools is about educating the kids."
Exactly why we are considering paying tuition for our daughter to start a private Christian high school next fall! I am appalled at the lack of "teaching" and the amount of crap that goes on.
ReplyDelete