Posted by
Playful Walrus on Monday, August 24, 2009 1:00:53 PM
According to this Los Angeles Times article by Jason Song and Jason Felch, California Governor Schwarzenegger is asking state legislators to adopt education reforms to qualify for some federal funding.
The governor's proposed legislation, to be considered during a special session that ends by Oct. 5, was met almost immediately by criticism from the powerful state teacher unions, which called Schwarzenegger's plans rushed and unnecessary.
The union will oppose anything that will do any of the following:
1) empower parents
2) reward good teachers and punish bad teachers
3) reduce the number of public school teachers, or the planned increase in the number of teachers (= dues payers)
4) make it easier to be a teacher who is not a member of their union, or to not support the union's political activities
5) reduce the ability of a teacher to have the time and energy to do the union's political bidding
The only federal funding there should be for education is for military academies, tuition reimbursement for federal employees, and scholarships for military veterans, so in this case I'd rather the federal funding not go ANYWHERE. In California's case, it would be getting some of our own money back, as we are a "donor state". Regardless of federal funding, we should be doing what's right as far as increasing liberty and encouraging innovation.
Not only should the federal government be out of education, but California’s state government should be out of education as well. The Left, however, will fight that tooth and nail, if for nothing else because this is one way they hope to keep making more Leftists - taxpayer-funded indoctrination and social engineering.