[rescue] OT: B0rked educational system (was: Purdue/PSU)

[David Cantrell]

On Fri, Feb 15, 2002 at 04:26:57PM -0500, Loomis, Rip wrote:
> > unionized
> I have a very negative opinion of most unions, so I won't
> argue this point--aside from historical reasons, most current
> unions in this country are more about bargaining and politics
> than about actually helping the worker.  My brother-in-law
> *did* convince me that unions aren't all bad, both by discussion
> and by deed.

I'm in a union.  It has been very helpful to me indeed.  My union also
does a significant amount of good in the wider community.  And, as a
side-benefit, I feel that by helping ensure good relations between
employers and employed, it's good for business too.  Oh, and I've never
gone on strike, never even "worked to rule".

Unions are a Good Thing.

Corruption is a Bad Thing.

Complain about the corruption, not about being unionised.

> > can't-be-fired teachers
> There are good and bad points to this

No, it's all bad.  If someone can't be removed for, eg, incompetence, then
you have a serious problem.

> The principle of tenure once had a point, and still might at
> higher levels of education.  If education was actually
> important enough to pay well

It *is* important enough to pay well, it's just that politicians are too
stupid and too scared of what that would require.

-- 
David Cantrell | david at cantrell.org.uk | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

   Lefties are usually well-intentioned at least, and possess
   a far greater command of grammar and spelling.
      -- Noel, in soc.history.what-if