Coming back from a long Thanksgiving weekend, Jay over at folkbum starts the week on a roll. Although his writing may begin with teacher salaries, it’s really a well thought-out rant on public support for education (or the lack thereof).
So what do I want, if not money? It’s simple: Shut up and let us do our jobs. Because (almost) everybody is a product of the American public education system, they feel they have the right to criticize it, suggest ways to change it; everybody is suddenly an expert. If Quindlen is right that the American people should be our biggest advocates, then those same people ought to recognize that it was the teachers who reached them–not the meddling anti-tax forces, the know-it-all politicians, or the privateers who currently run the Department of Education–who deserve the praise and rewards. It was the teachers who helped them "levitate" who created conditions for success, not vouchers or Intelligent Design or corporate America.
Jay’s reflection and commentary is always well worth your time.