The institutional problem I consider overwhelmingly dominant is poverty and the attendant facts associated therewith -- single parent homes, if you're lucky; higher crime neighborhoods; a general culture of accepted failure/lack of faith in the educational system -- the so-called cycle of poverty.
I don't think addressing teacher unions does much to fix the problem because it does address what I consider the dispositive root cause.
So, while I probably generally agree with you that teacher's unions ought to be rethought, and I completely agree with you on minimizing administrative costs, I see this as a bandaid that maybe saves the schools some money which they can spend on students, but that will have little impact. I mean, my position is that that realistic increases in spending aren't going change outcomes in any real way. Whether the money comes from increased taxes or cost savings is irrelevant to me -- the conclusion is the same.
So, I mean -- it's something that ought to be considered in terms of best practices, but there's no way I think that changes much of anything.
As always, JMO.
I don't think addressing teacher unions does much to fix the problem because it does address what I consider the dispositive root cause.
So, while I probably generally agree with you that teacher's unions ought to be rethought, and I completely agree with you on minimizing administrative costs, I see this as a bandaid that maybe saves the schools some money which they can spend on students, but that will have little impact. I mean, my position is that that realistic increases in spending aren't going change outcomes in any real way. Whether the money comes from increased taxes or cost savings is irrelevant to me -- the conclusion is the same.
So, I mean -- it's something that ought to be considered in terms of best practices, but there's no way I think that changes much of anything.
As always, JMO.
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