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Frank Howe of Denver writes:

Erik Palmer’s SPEAKOUT piece of 9/3/07 is:
a) self-serving
b) poorly-written
c) illogical
d) demonstrably false
e) all of the above
The answer is e., all of the above.
It is both interesting and instructive that none of the “truths” is strictly true. It is fortunate, however, that anyone who writes the sentence “If someone tells you that teachers are only worried (sic) about their compensation, they (sic) are wrong.” doesn’t teach English.
If teachers aren’t as concerned about compensation as they are about education, why do teachers’ unions exist? A real truth is that real professionals never unionize. A teacher with five years’ experience knows more about children and teaching than do parents? Preposterous. Extremely qualified teachers aren’t “lined up” to replace the many mediocrities now teaching because, like that “dead weight” they went to teachers’ colleges, don’t know very much, and had lower undergrad GPA’s than their peers who majored in more demanding disciplines.
There is a simple solution to our public education woes, but as von Clausewitz wrote about his profession, “In war everything is simple, but often even the simplest things are very difficult.” Vouchers, competition, and school choice—along with the abolition of teachers’ unions—are the simple, but nonetheless difficult, solutuions. Schools will never be “able to do as much” as parents would like as long as teachers like Palmer continue to whine incessantly and work diligently to avoid any semblance of reponsibility and accountability.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Frank Howe, your letter was too laughably awful to merit any serious consideration in a debate about education. It would make more sense to listen to Karl Rove explain how to rap than it would to give your "thoughts" a second look.

Well, Frank, it is intellectual lightweights like you who find it so easy to attack teachers, call them deadweight and generally slam a profession that is preposterously over-regulated, and probably doomed. Ive been a teacher for a long damn time and weathered many changes, survived fools like you and still found some nobility in what I did. Now, I cant wait to get out because of the crowd like you. It simply isnt worth the fight anymore. You pathetric people wont get it because you are determined not to get it. Vouchers and competition have no more to do with sound education than teacher training programs do. Both are a waste of time.

Gadfly sounds like you are about to retire on your tenured PERA account. How long till you also file and claim social security to go with it?

10:07, Colorado set up PERA so they don't have to pay the employers 8.5% Social Security tax. Unless a person worked under Social Security for 10 years, you don't receive it. Colorado pays less for retirement than most states. But when fact gets in the way of opinion...

The psychological foundation for the continuing disrespect for, and misunderstanding of, Teaching as a profession, is found in an old cliche, altogether too often repeated through the ages: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

From the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, literacy, and the discipline of imparting the knowledge of HOW to think, has been totally secondary to the ideas of conquering; ruling and lording over others; getting and keeping the most, while seeing to it that everyone else gets as little as possible of the leftovers; and indoctrinating children as to WHAT to think, and when and where to think it, as "all that's necessary".

Some modern examples may be found in the area of CSAP, for instance. Teach to the test. Make the point of getting the right marks in the right little boxes; and that's the "measure of teaching performance". So Forth. (You can certainly provide a host of similar examples for yourself.)

Public Education still strives to keep alive the premise that one should learn HOW to think. And, this is a never ending struggle with those who want nothing more than a docile, and obedient, response to indoctrination as to WHAT to think, and the corollarys of when and where one is allowed to think it.

For those parents who want their children to learn HOW to think, the public school is still doing its best, even with all the interference and opposition it has from the other side. For those parents who want their children to learn only WHAT to think, believe, and parrot throughout the rest of their lives, the private and parochial schools are there, claiming the idea of "better education".

I opened the doors on my first teaching job 60 years ago September 1st. And I have had experience in both public and private school areas. My support is always on the side of the EDUCATORS, having seen what the INDOCTRINATORS usually produce. If you want your child educated for the 21st Century, and beyond, get out there and get busy supporting your PUBLIC SCHOOL and its TEACHERS!

T 08:27 AM,

PERA has been in existence for quite a long time.

When, back in the 1970's, Congress passed Legislation opting EVERYONE INTO Social Security who had heretofore been exempt - including Clergy and other Religious, as well as professionals previously left out by reason of other forms of already established retirement plans - certain Civil Government pension plans, such as PERA, were specifically exempted from the Legislative Act at that time.

However, those wishing to opt INTO Social Security, as a secondary/supplemental retirement plan, were given the option; and the matter of payroll tax - including employer part - was left to the Civil Government of the original pension plan to work out.

Since that time, Congress has modified that Legislation, adding terms whereby newcomers to a profession, or job, having an exempt pension/retirement plan now must come under Social Security. Again, there are exceptions; but these are again tied to already existing Civil Government programs.

I am not aware of how PERA chose to deal with payroll tax for those who chose originally to have Social Security as a supplement. But, I do know it (PERA) WAS NOT "set up" to avoid payroll tax.

A statement such as that is nothing more than malicious falsehood.

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