Reason
02-22-2011, 12:57 AM
Found this posted on facebook...
As probably the only libertarian public school teacher in the entire United States, I thought it my duty to sound off on recent events in Wisconsin; events which will likely spill over into other states.
I stand in support of Governor Walker of Wisconsin, and his push to take the necessary (albeit modest) measures to cut the State's budget. I also completely reject the idea that teachers unions are fighting for some kind of natural right! What they are instead fighting for is a government granted opportunity to collect higher wages and pensions regardless of their performance as an educator. Personally, I would welcome the opportunity to bargain for my wage on a personal basis.
Here's some Constitutional observations:
We DO have the natural right to assemble, petition, and freely associate with another. We also have the natural right to bargain collectively, or individually for our salaries. We have a natural right to enter into contracts and sell goods or services at a price that is mutually agreeable. This natural right is breached when unions receive government-granted privileges for setting of salaries and working conditions for teachers.
The United States Department of Education is blatantly unconstitutional! Nowhere in Article I, Sec. 8 of the Constitution, nor elsewhere in the document, is the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide an education mentioned. Even if it were constitutional, it is completely ineffective! The level, quality, and accessibility of education steadily increased in each state until the United States Department of Education was founded. Each power-grab of the Department shows a marked decline in student performance. I would even make the argument that States should not be in the business of education! If there was a true free market in education, students could find schools that suited them, and teachers would be paid based on merit. Poor teachers would be purged from the system, while exceptional teachers would be paid what they deserve.
The Federal Bureaucracy stifles educational innovation. It prevents new ideas from being tested in the open, and continues the status quo. The Free Market and competition would breed breakthroughs that would drive costs down and quality up. This fact should be obvious to anybody who owns a cell phone today who didn't have one 2, 5, 10, or 15 years ago.
As staunch a libertarian as I am, I would be willing to support (for the time being) a voucher system whereby very poor students would be enabled to choose their own school, instead of being forced to receive a non-education in some slummy government school
Finally, I want to re-iterate the point about teacher salaries. Currently, I make about $10,000-15,000 less than I made before attending college. Teachers are low-paid. This is precisely, however, the fault of heavy government and Union involvement in education. Unions make it all-but impossible to dispose of crappy teachers who tie up resources. Governments require teachers to jump through too many hoops.
If Wisconsinites wanted to help teachers, they would support the Governor in enabling talented teachers to bargain for themselves based on their merits as educators. They would even support ending the Department of Education and creating a market-based educational system. This would enable good teachers to thrive, and would relocate lousy teachers to sectors of the economy where they will be more productive.
As probably the only libertarian public school teacher in the entire United States, I thought it my duty to sound off on recent events in Wisconsin; events which will likely spill over into other states.
I stand in support of Governor Walker of Wisconsin, and his push to take the necessary (albeit modest) measures to cut the State's budget. I also completely reject the idea that teachers unions are fighting for some kind of natural right! What they are instead fighting for is a government granted opportunity to collect higher wages and pensions regardless of their performance as an educator. Personally, I would welcome the opportunity to bargain for my wage on a personal basis.
Here's some Constitutional observations:
We DO have the natural right to assemble, petition, and freely associate with another. We also have the natural right to bargain collectively, or individually for our salaries. We have a natural right to enter into contracts and sell goods or services at a price that is mutually agreeable. This natural right is breached when unions receive government-granted privileges for setting of salaries and working conditions for teachers.
The United States Department of Education is blatantly unconstitutional! Nowhere in Article I, Sec. 8 of the Constitution, nor elsewhere in the document, is the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide an education mentioned. Even if it were constitutional, it is completely ineffective! The level, quality, and accessibility of education steadily increased in each state until the United States Department of Education was founded. Each power-grab of the Department shows a marked decline in student performance. I would even make the argument that States should not be in the business of education! If there was a true free market in education, students could find schools that suited them, and teachers would be paid based on merit. Poor teachers would be purged from the system, while exceptional teachers would be paid what they deserve.
The Federal Bureaucracy stifles educational innovation. It prevents new ideas from being tested in the open, and continues the status quo. The Free Market and competition would breed breakthroughs that would drive costs down and quality up. This fact should be obvious to anybody who owns a cell phone today who didn't have one 2, 5, 10, or 15 years ago.
As staunch a libertarian as I am, I would be willing to support (for the time being) a voucher system whereby very poor students would be enabled to choose their own school, instead of being forced to receive a non-education in some slummy government school
Finally, I want to re-iterate the point about teacher salaries. Currently, I make about $10,000-15,000 less than I made before attending college. Teachers are low-paid. This is precisely, however, the fault of heavy government and Union involvement in education. Unions make it all-but impossible to dispose of crappy teachers who tie up resources. Governments require teachers to jump through too many hoops.
If Wisconsinites wanted to help teachers, they would support the Governor in enabling talented teachers to bargain for themselves based on their merits as educators. They would even support ending the Department of Education and creating a market-based educational system. This would enable good teachers to thrive, and would relocate lousy teachers to sectors of the economy where they will be more productive.