Sioux City Journal

Competition is what public education needs

Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008

SIOUX CITY -- The news that less than half of our kids graduate from high school and the push for greater public union power coming from Des Moines in the same week is ironic. The stranglehold that the teachers' union has on our schools is a major cause of the graduation problem. For decades the union has fought for less and less accountability for teachers and higher wages for the failed results they are responsible for. As a taxpayer, I'm tired of the union and the school boards asking me for more and more money every year for less and less results.

The poor graduation rates are not a result of low teacher salaries, nor are they the result of not building enough new schools. They are the result of there being no alternative to the monopoly called the public education system. Introduce a little competition into the system and amazing things can happen. -- Dale Nelson

Story Comments

Reader wrote on Apr 10, 2008 11:08 AM:

" "Change" and "Old Board Member": WELL SAID! As the teachers' union has become stronger, the quality of education has declined. A coincidence? I think not. Get rid of the union and the bad, lazy, incompetent teachers and you will see the quality rise again. However, parents have to get with the program and become active in the raising and disciplining their children. "

Whiner wrote on Apr 9, 2008 7:53 AM:

" You complainers have to be kidding me. Lets review the last election of board members and how many actually voted, and how many candidates the SCCSD had applied. Ya see folks if you don't like the way something is going, get off your big ol butts and vote, or apply for candidacy, volunteer; somthing. Sitting in a blog format and complaining means nada!!!

Keep on complaining, that is all you apparently are going to do, while those in the system, and on the School Board work on real issues and limited funding. "

dew wrote on Apr 6, 2008 11:38 AM:

" I agree with mark, to some extent. There are individuals on this community's school board who are more concerned with winning a tax equity lawsuit than student achievement. Meanwhile, our tax dollars will be funding enormous legal fees so some guy's ego can become even bigger. Wake up Sioux City and start voting in citizens who truly care about leaving no child behind. "

Old Board Member wrote on Apr 5, 2008 7:24 AM:

" This old board member saw the creation of the teachers union as the begining of the down fall of education many years ago. Discipline in the schools is gone and so is the dedication of most teachers. "

maRk wrote on Apr 5, 2008 1:38 AM:

" Let's not knock the union too much. They put up with a lot of stuff and produce many benefits. I think that if you cut the union some slack you will find that they are pushing for the same things in a different way.

The main problem is that society devalues education. You get what you pay for. "