Steven Greenhut, who is a senior editor for a California paper, the Orange County Register (And I don't know if that is like the LA Times or the Peachtree City Citizen) was reprinted in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution yesterday. I don't think it is responsible journalism to put such drivel in the paper. Someone might be influenced by it. You can look it up under ajc.com on the opinion pages, but I'll not link to it because it is too much like dog vomit. They gave this guy a half page to say that pubic schools are socialism (he makes numerous references to Soviet communism and likens it to public schools), teachers unions falsely think more money would help schools, and draws the conclusion that abolishing all public schools would be generate "unheard-of prosperity. Call it the freedom dividend." He goes on to say that how can anyone who believes in freedom not be for the abolishment of all public schools.

It is irresponsible of the AJC, in fact it is the malpractice of journalism to give voice to raving lunatics like this. I don't care if someone made him sr. editor of an Orange County rag. He is doing his job as part of the 28% club that makes up the hard core right wing. Someone please spray these guys with a hose and wake them up.

I've said it before that the difference between how we provide for employees at work and how school children are provided for is evidence that we don't care about public education. We don't need an increase in funds. We need to double the funds. The buildings are poorly designed, poorly heated and cooled, ugly, inflexible, did I say ugly, uncomfortable, unsanitary, noisy, etc. They are made so you can hose them down at the end of the day like a dog pen. This is not how coorporate America works and flourishes.

Public schools do pretty well under such conditions. I love the use of statistics in education. Alarm! Alarm! Half of the students are scoring below average. Half of the states are below average! Students are dropping out. (Yes they are. This is not new. And you can't blame them. If you aren't interested in academics for a career, we offer very little). Vocational Education is a joke in most places. A big part of the increase in funds should go to build real vocational programs that attract bright students and prepare them for business. Many current vocational programs are places to warehouse slower students until we can give them a diploma. We are simply babysitting them and keeping them out of the job market to help keep down unemployment.

And can we get over the merit pay crap altogether? Merit pay is simply a way for administrators to reward their friends (people who play along, don't call the administrators on some of the bull they try to pull, relatives, girlfriends, etc.,) and punish independent thinkers and the righteous. When I say jump, you jump, or stay on the lowest pay grade. It is the independent teachers that push the school to excellence. Unless they kiss up, they'll not merit an increase in pay. Furthermore to really give merit pay, you'd have to create a whole new level of bureaucracy, detached from the individual schools and with administrators who have had intensive training on how to evaluate how teachers in different areas effectively teach. It will never happen. I've had education classes--lots of them. They are the stupidest courses you can imagine. Music theory requires real thinking. Music education requires prissing around pretending to think. If merit pay is installed, it will fail. It will drive out good teachers and encourage sycophants (yes men, toadies, fawners, flatters).

Someone should sue the AJC.