It would be nice if we had the time built into our work day to design curriculum (I spent hundreds of hours designing my AP curriculums during the summer during my unpaid vacation).

Teachers are trained by muddle-headed professors of education and then further led astray by slick for-profit consultants and sales people. As most professionals do, they listen to the “authorities” in their field as well as consultants, but, unfortunately, most of the authorities are captivated by bankrupt ideas. Sadly, these authorities are gate-keepers that shut out ideas like E.D. Hirsch’s. As I share my independent research about Core Knowledge ideas with my colleagues, they are quite receptive; it rings true to them. Once someone with a big megaphone starts blaring these alternative ideas across the country, I think many teachers will flock to them.

We’re not paying for “work” – we’re paying for results.

> Give them new ideas and a solid curriculum and they’ll work wonders.

Umm, aren’t they supposed to come with good ideas?

Since unionized teachers have a significant impact on cirriculum, asking us to fix it is somewhat ironic.

Of course I’m just being silly. All one need do is consult with anyone of the rabid anti-war left to get all the evidence necessary to support the conclusion that President Obama hasn’t a lick of principle in him. While the anti-war left is a detestable, self-involved group of people they are also familiar with the casual way in which Obama treats his supporters when abandoning them is expedient and safe.

With the NEA one side of the issue and the poor kids and poor parents of Washington D.C. on the other, it’s hard to see what reason, from a political perspective, President Obama would have to side with the latter.

And it’s not just about improving the ed system for children. Good teachers with solid ideas would most likely thrive under a system of true school choice. Don’t like NCLB? Neither do plenty of other parents. Like the idea of high stake tests? So do plenty of other parents.

Instead of offering a variety of approaches to educating our children, our schools are forced to compromise or to conform or to passively resist the strongest, and ever changing, educational impulses of our society.

The fundamental problem with American schools is bad ideas, not unions or lack of vouchers. Change those ideas and unionized teachers can do wonders (FYI: most of these unionized teachers are already working their butts off, contrary to the right-wing caricature. Give them new ideas and a solid curriculum and they’ll work wonders.)