New York City charter schools this year had 51,473 applicants for 12,917 new seats. That leaves almost 40,000 heartbroken families who wanted their children to have a shot at the American dream that only quality education can provide.
The New York experience with charters is too typical. How can we squander so much human potential? How can we tolerate throwaway children being selected by luck of the draw and dreams being wasted? The short but accurate answer is: teacher unions.
The unions are true political heavyweights, with annual revenues over $600 million, more than both political parties combined. The National Education Association (NEA) alone was the largest contributor in the 2008 election cycle; over 90 percent went to Democrats.
Stacks of dollars that high buy clout, of course, and unions have used their clout to stifle development of charter schools. Limiting school choice in all forms is their top priority, since the union monopoly is threatened if families are free to choose better schools for their children.
That’s why Mitt Romney’s recent decision to take on the unions directly was so important. Top-level Republican pols tend to give the unions a wide berth. They can’t realistically hope for union support but they fear being seen as anti-teacher or even anti-education if they defy the unions. As a result, few Americans realize how much of our schools’ chronic underperformance and lack of improvement is due to the union influence.
But Romney was having none of it. In a speech to the Latino Coalition, he announced a bold reform plan of universal school choice, making schools responsible for transparency of results and compensating teachers for success. But he noted that realistically reform efforts always butt up against “entrenched interests.”
“The teacher unions are the clearest example of a group that has lost its way,” he said, noting their “fierce determination to keep things the way they are.”
Moreover they don’t fight for our children. The union’s attitude was clearly expressed by a former head of the American Federation of Teachers who once said “when schoolchildren start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of children.” He was simply saying the mission of unions is to look out for their members. What else would you expect?
Romney and the union official are right. In Detroit, a philanthropist offered $200 million to establish 15 charter schools in a city where they’re desperately needed. Under union pressure it was refused! Parents in Connecticut tried to pass “parent trigger” legislation so that they could directly intervene with failing schools. Unions were successful in shutting down their efforts. It goes on and on.
In his speech, Romney made it clear he wasn’t attacking the many dedicated, skilled teachers who do a great job. But he was blunt. “When your cause in life is preventing parents from a meaningful choice or children from having a real chance, then you’re on the wrong side. You might even be in the wrong vocation, because good teachers put the interests of children first.”
Romney’s strong stand may even be good politics. While the economy and soaring debt dominate the national consciousness, Americans do worry about our mediocre educational system and its effect upon our future prospects. It seems to be dawning on them that more money, which the unions relentlessly demand, really hasn’t produced change.
Romney has a big advantage here because President Obama’s union handlers don’t permit him to participate in debates on meaningful education reform. This must be particularly embarrassing to him in the case of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships. This massively popular program provides $7,500 scholarships mostly to minority children fleeing D.C.’s wretched schools. It actually saves money and produces real academic improvement. But Obama is forced to oppose it, which he does, even though his daughters attend Sidwell Friends, an exclusive private school unavailable to the low-income children to whom he is denying a scholarship.
Whichever way the political winds, Romney said what needed to be said about the new civil rights issue of our time — equal educational opportunity for all.
Maybe he’s not the milquetoast the opposition would like us to think.
East Valley resident Tom Patterson (pattersontomc@cox.net) is a retired physician and former state senator.
mnjcpa posted at 2:37 pm on Sun, Jun 3, 2012.
Fantastic article Tom and my sentiments exactly. I love it that Romney is taking this issue head on to fix it, rather than following along liberal ideology which exaggerates the problem even further.
VofReason posted at 2:35 pm on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
It will be interesting to see the reaction on this to some of the regular commenters. I think few see the education system at large working very well and is wildly expensive to taxpayers in certain locales. I don't blame whether a student learns or not all on the teacher, but I think it wrong to presume more money will fix anything. Sad fact is that the places where education lacks most is where parent involvement is least. No additional tax dollars will fix that. Sadly few politicians will call out the real problem.
samkat posted at 7:46 pm on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
The Republican Party seems intent to destroy the public education system under the guise of weakening the teachers unions. If they spent half the time they devote to pushing charter schools and cutting public school funding they might just might make the necessary improvements in the public education system necessary to serve everyone rather than the religious kooks.
I would like to see public audits of the charter schools to ensure our tax dollars are spent wisely. Everyday I see new charter schools going up that look like mansions. Where is the money coming from since charter schools supposedly receive less per student than public schools?
The airwaves are constantly bombarded with charter school advertisements. However, since charter school are totally unregulated, they can take a high school student or even a drop out and make them a teacher. There is no limit on what the school administrator can set for his or her salary. We have several state legislators voting on charter school legislation even though technically it is a conflict of interest since they own charter schools. I am sure we have a number of our less than straight arrow legislators with their hands in the till. They have purposefully weakened the financial disclosure laws and ethics regulations for themselves so just about anything they do short of murder is legal.
The thing that really incenses me is the tuition foundations where our tax dollars are funneled into again with no oversight. Steve Yarborough comes to mind as well as Eddie Farnsworth. Steve is the head of at least one foundation and is also the owner of a charter school according to the Republic and the EV Tribune. Where is the state on accountability? Gee, are they in cahoots with them?
Everybody has an opinion and this is mine. My wife and I are empty nesters and I have no problem with my tax dollars going to public schools but I get indigestion thinking about the quasi religious schools being funded by my tax dollars.
JMJ posted at 3:26 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
St. Romney to the rescue. First off, I hope he loses the election. He won't lose the state of Arizona, he has too many homies here. But, how does a prep school, silver spooned blue blood even understand anything about the education system? And, being from Massachusetts, home of very strong teachers unions, Massachusetts is one state that has mostly great educational results. Our "unions"-not, here are weak, and always have been due to being a right-to-work state. So, why aren't we at the top of the heap, educationally? Oh, that's right. Arizona is a Far Right to Work, state, and our Republican majority legislature has cut us to the bone on all things education. Our charters are not performing as well as the public schools. The leadership in the schools is extremely weak, just as the unions are weak, here in complacent Arizona. Same story, different day.
VofReason posted at 4:20 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
"The Republican Party seems intent to destroy the public education system under the guise of weakening the teachers unions. " Is this assuming that it is actually working well now or any time in the recent past? How do charters build nice buildings? Maybe becuase they don't overpay for administrators, teachers, benefits etc etc that the public education system does. They don't have 4 administrators who get 100K+ to hold down a desk and nothing else. I think the way we know if charter schools are working or not is if the parents are happy about the education of their children. Precisly the reason they are running from public schools.
geekette posted at 4:45 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
Tom, that's a very simplistic analysis that doesn't hold up to examination. If teacher's unions were abolished tomorrow, would that immediately solve the problem of kids whose parents don't care, kids who don't have enough to eat, kids with learning disabilities, or kids with limited English proficiency? No, they would still be there. Schools like the Great Hearts group or Basis Academies have great results because the parents self-select. Thus, they don't have to deal with any of the above-mentioned groups. And why would a teacher's union object to the kind of deal that the teachers in those programs have: involved parents, small classes, lighter teaching loads, extra prep times. So here's what I suggest: let's get rid of all the district schools and the teacher unions, like you seem to want. Then, let's set up ALL schools just like these high-performing charter schools: small classes, lighter teaching loads, etc. See how much that costs and if the state is willing to pay that price tag. And then let's see how great the charter schools work when they have to deal with all students and not just a select group. Who will you blame then? What simple-minded solution will you offer?
mnjcpa posted at 4:57 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
samkat and jmj - did either of you actually read the article? Or were your own liberal idealogical values too deep to consider the implications of what Patterson describes in Washington and the Detroit philanthropist offering to fund schools only to be blocked by the unions?
The Republicans had nothing to do with those decisions folks. It's a long out dated entity called a "union" which is nothing more than a license to steal from the public without accountability, performance, or oversight.
samkat posted at 5:57 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
Sorry mnj but I did read the article and no I am not a liberal. I am a moderate conservative and I am against my money going for charter schools. My wife and I as well as our children and now my grandchildren all received our education through public schools. I think we fared very well. I do have an MBA. My eldest son is a program manager/engineer with one of the major computer companies. Our other children all successful in their career fields.
Tom may be talking about Washington and Detroit but he is as far right conservative as they come and if you doubt his intent, go back and reread his first paragraph about charter schools in New York.
Now, with that said, I can safely assume you are a far right conservative and maybe one who also believes that public schools be relegated to the scrap heap. I have one question for you through. Do you believe charter schools should be unregulated and not subject to financial or educational audits since they are sucking up our tax dollars?
If the answer is yeas, then you obviously do not have a problem with state legislators owning charter schools as well as the tuition foundations that are also unregulated. They pay themselves fantastic salaries and actually create legislation and vote on the same which should be a conflict of interest. I am sure you do not feel that our legislators should have a need for ethics rules or have to complete annual conflict of interest/financial forms. This is something I had to do as a government employee for my entire career.
mnjcpa posted at 7:17 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
Like you, I have advanced college degrees and had a wonderful experience growing up and attending public schools. Unfortunately, those days are gone as public sector unions have ruined our school systems. Whether you like his politics or not, Patterson demonstrates well situations where 1) performance created demand and 2) how education unions are looking out for anyone but the children. I'm not versed in charter schools, but what I do care about is a curriculum that isn't politically biased, my tax dollars funding life long pensions that amount to millions over a teacher's lifetime, and kids coming out of school today hardly ready for the world or with limited critical thinking skills.
Liberalism has destroyed that school system that I grew with, and it must change.
JMJ posted at 9:58 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
Yes, read the article from start to finish. Duh. I came from the east of the US in high school, and was two years ahead of the students in Arizona when I arrived. That was from a public school background. My education was so advanced that there was no foreign language class for me because foreign language didn't start here in Arizona before high school [four years], and I already had four years in a foreign language back east. So, I lanquished for two years with the other six students who arrived from the eastern US, and we read whole novels in foreign language class. When I arrived at a state university here in Arizona, I tested into that foreign language program at a college junior level, and it wasn't from being "educated" by anyone in Arizona, it was due to a great foundation in the public education system back east, which carried me an extra two years as I kept educating myself, because Arizona couldn't offer what I needed, at that time.
That system also had a powerful union, and for two years in a row, teachers struck in September and into October, until the union negotiated a living wage and benefits for those teachers. We were ecstatic as kids, of course, because we were able to run the streets and have a good old time. That was BEFORE I moved here, and I was still two years ahead, academically, in spite of strikes.
The charter school system, whether here or in NYC, is not necessarily the answer. Those 40,000 "heartbroken" students still have other options, and they can attend any school in NYC because there's an actual transit system that will get them anywhere they want to go.
As for the "liberalism" and politically biased curriculum, are you even serious? I was, unfortunately, exposed to a far right nutcase in a graduate program through one of our state universities, not one of those fly-by-night online papermills that are so prevalent, nowadays, and the wack job was espousing creationism vs evolution to a class of grad students. No one said a word--because nut job held our grades and no one dared contradict him. Is that what you want running your schools? Idiots who have no basis in reality and expouse a largely religious slant to everything? Don't we want to teach our students to think for themselves? Oh, wait a minute. The commentary in this paper is always so slanted to the right that my comments will not be met even halfway. That's the trouble with right-thinking politicians and the majority right citizenry of Arizona. Look at our state. Thinking like a far right loon has us in this situation in the first place. You cannot blame the unions in Arizona for how crappy the education system has turned out. The "unions" are not unions, they are associations, and they are pretty powerless. How's that workin' for Arizona? It isn't. And, anyone out there who has the opportunity to join an association [weak euphemism for "union"] and doesn't deserves the low wages and lack of benefits that they reap. Bust the unions while the rich and greedy get richer and greedier, and the middle class disappears completely. Good luck having anyone continue to even want to consider education as a career. It's indentured servitude in this state and its controlled by morons who are not even qualified to be in the supervisory positions they earn through cronyism.
mnjcpa posted at 11:05 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Your long novel is intriguing but not sure what your diatribe is about other than hurling insults at people that you know nothing about. Sounds like another liberal with a giant chip on their shoulder to me.
You seriously must be joking that unions are associations. I guess those truckloads of union organizers bused in to Wisconsin to face overwhelming defeat were an association. You would have thought Walker was asking for a kidney from the union reaction.
People are starting to realize that the taxes they pay - whether in income or property - are funding life long pensions and healthcare benefits to people that are constantly squealing about not having enough. You're sure not going to learn about it from the mainstream media because they so avidly protect the left's agenda.
I've come across many teachers, administrators, and private and public union employees that retire unrealistically young with these windfalls. All the while the private sector - who funds these entitlements - taxes continue to rise. My home dropped 50% in value, but my property taxes went up again this year. Why is that? Because a large part of property taxes fund the school system and the pensions they support. This issue isn't just about Arizona - it's nationwide - just like what we've just seen in Wisconsin.
Agreed that I wouldn't consider an education career - but wonder what's that about? Wonderful, gifted educators are faced with the harsh reality that they really can't do and be what they're so talented at doing can't do because of the bloat and inefficiencies that Patterson and VofReason so aptly describe. Call me any name you want - but the education system must be radically changed.
VofReason posted at 1:12 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Why do people from the east coast think they are always smarter then everyone else. You know a forign language - big deal. That and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee at any Circle K. Nice parlour trick, but unless you are doing business with someone in another country- who cares. Our problem here is trying to teach the kids in school our language, not French. This is why people want to pull their kids out of public schools where the curriculum is in 1st gear. Charter schools get lower funding per kid then other public schools. That being the case, that is an even worse inditement of the public system if they can build fancy buildings, pay their administrator a mint, and still have better outcomes for their students.
VofReason posted at 1:14 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Buy the way JMJ, the east coast misses you, please go home. You and the intelligencia can get together and pat yourselves on the back and speak in a foriegn langauge together. Us right winger westerners are OK with you, as long as there are a few states in between us.
JMJ posted at 3:31 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Two years ahead in all curricular areas, not just a language, sad sack--that's my name for you.
I'll ponder your suggestion to move back east as I collect my pension--which your taxes do not support, by the way. And, yes, I am young. Bonus.
And, since you are telling me I don't know anything about unions, check with all your friends [the 3 you might have...besides the one issue wonders who align with you], and find out about the "unions" in Arizona, which are not usions, but associations. Huge difference.
Now, for my afternoon nap.
fae4now posted at 6:10 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
JMJ,
I hope this finds you well rested. Clearly someone here has pushed your buttons and I'm glad for it as your points are well made.
Comparing higher achieving eastern schools where teacher's unions are strong with lower achieving western schools where teacher associations are weak would seem to make a case for stronger teachers unions or at least to deflate the notion that associations are to blame for poor school performance.
Some will comprehend what others will not.
One of our wiser commenters here recently posted the following on another thread and I now share it with you.
"Do not feed the trolls. Do not feed the trolls. Do not feed the trolls."
JMJ posted at 10:10 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
fae4now, You have made me laugh. Thanks for citing the "Do not feed the trolls" advice. It's great advice, and I'll have to remember that! LOL! [beam]
mnjcpa posted at 7:53 am on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
It's amazing that people can't be adults and debate the issues rather than stooping to low class insult the messenger tactics.
VofReason posted at 1:01 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
JMJ, evidently many people in the state of WI agree with my understanding of Unions- could the recall vote be wrong? Wonder why most companies don't offer pensions anymore- hmmm?
VofReason posted at 1:03 pm on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
Wonder why the state of NY is so far underwater when so many "smart" people live and come from there. Maybe it is becuase they have to pay out to those powerful teachers unions.