Schools

Obama wants pay raises for "good teachers". While that sounds commendable on the surface, it seems many folks are not looking closely.

Teachers are already getting paid to be good teachers - we certainly do not pay them to be bad. By adding a merit raise pay system, we do not get rid of the bad teachers - we simply pay those who are doing their jobs even more. And, contrary to common belief, many, though not all teachers get $45,000-$60,000 per year, for a 6 hour day, 8 months per year.

Frankly, it would be better for our children to simply get rid of teachers who are NOT performing. In this way, teachers will try harder to do well because they want to keep their jobs. That is a far better incentive system - those who work, and do their jobs, get to keep their jobs. Gee - almost like everyone else!

That said, it seems even more ironic that a Chicago politician - Obama - who appointed the Chicago Education leader as head of the Department of Education should even be getting involved in education. Of the 25 worst schools in the nation, 4 of them are in Chicago. And the woman who headed THOSE schools now heads the Department of education. I find that to be a sad state of affairs.

If we want better education for our kids, the answer lies here:

1) Parents must get more involved in their children and their education

2) Parents must give schools more latitude in discipline, where necessary

3) Teachers must be held accountable for performance

4) Teachers Unions need to be weakened, and the concept of tenure ended

5) Students need to be taught that education is for THEIR benefit, not the benefit of the teachers or parents. It is THEIR future at stake.

6) Non-educational, agenda-driven subjects like sexual lifestyles should be eliminated. They have never been necessary, are often based on nothing more than opinion, and distract from real courses

7) Students should be taught not only facts, but also taught how to LEARN, and how to APPLY what they learn. Memorizing by rote is not education.

8) Students should not be rewarded for poor performance for the sake of their egos - more than their egos will get trashed later in life if their feet are not held to the fire in school.

9) Number 1 needs to be repeated - parents must take a more active, hands-on role in raising their children and instilling sound values.

All the money in the world will not assure a good education. In fact, the schools with the highest per-student funding are doing the worst - Washington DC and Chicago.

/