Obama Promises To Nationalize Education In America
Here’s an excerpt from a speech Obama delivered to the American Federation of Teachers (read: teacher’s union):
And when our educators succeed, I won’t just talk about how great they are; I will reward them for it. Under my plan, districts will be able to give teachers who mentor, or teach in underserved areas, or take on added responsibilities, or learn new skills to serve students better, or consistently excel in the classroom, the salary increase they deserve. And whether it’s the plans AFT helped create in Cincinnati or Chicago, you’ve shown that it is possible to find new ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them.
First, it’s interesting that Obama would mention education in Cincinnati as though the city were some sort of education success story. Seven of the Cincinnati Public School system’s seventeen high schools have been listed as “drop out factories.”
But hey, the teacher’s union was able to squeeze more money out of the taxpayers despite that failure rate, so I guess we’re considering it a success.
Second, since when does the federal government get to dictate teacher pay? Isn’t an education a state and local issue? Do we really want the federal government to start running the schools? Do we really think there is a political leader in the world capable of crafting education policy that is right for both Los Angeles and rural North Dakota?
Bush trampled federalist principle when he instituted No Child Left Behind, but now it appears as though Obama is poised to out-and-out nationalize education.
So forget about local control, parents. Obama will be calling the shots on your kids school from Washington DC if he’s President.
