Virginia’s gubernatorial elections came to an end last week. Democrat Terry McAuliffe appointed Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers union.
That would be a great idea.
He, as many progressives, thinks everyone thinks like he does.
“I’m not going to let parents come into schools and … make their own decisions,” he’d said. “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
This is the attitude of government: It runs everything. The experts know best. Parents as “customers” who make choices? It’s absurd.
I pray that his defeat will mean Americans realize such politicians are not good for progress.
In NYC, failing schools cost $20,000 each student in years past. Teachers had been holding protests where they shouted: “Fund schools! We don’t have enough money!”
However, they have spent $20,000 (now). Nearly $30,000Per student: That’s $500,000 for each classroom, with 25 students! You can think of what you could do to that amount: Hire five excellent teachers.
The money went where? Nobody in the bureaucracy knew where this money went. It is not possible for governments to make any money…
I researched different education systems and did an ABC TV special called “Stupid in America.” It showed how American students do worse than kids in other countries.
It was suggested by me that parental choice could be helpful. Competition has brought better smartphones, vehicles, and supermarkets while keeping prices low. Providers are forced to continually innovate to satisfy their customers by competition. However, this is not the case in government schools.
This year, most private and Catholic schools opened, while “public” (government-run) schools often stayed closed.
Monopolies kill innovation. Most Americans had worked on farms before public schools were established. Schools took the summer off to let kids help out on farms. Although less than 2% work on farms today, nearly all government schools still take the summer off.
“Unionized monopolies like yours fail,” I told Weingarten (when she still would speak to me). “It is the children who you are failing.”
“We are not a unionized monopoly!” she snapped. “Folks who want to say this … don’t really care about kids.”
But, I love my kids.
Government-run schools, however, are not a monopoly. Don’t like your school? It’s hard. Is school terrible? It’s hard. It doesn’t matter if it is good or not.
Imagine that you bought your groceries this way. There are no other supermarkets with the same options. It is up to us to decide whether fish or meat we prefer. Whatever wins, that is what everybody eats.
Weingarten’s interview was conducted by me.
“We’ll police our own profession,” she said.
“I’d like to police my job, too,” I responded. “But that’s not how it works in life!”
It turns out, I was right. It’s how it works when it comes to public education.
After “Stupid in America” aired, and millions watched, Weingarten held a protest outside my office. Hundreds of teachers carried signs,and shouted, “We are here to demand an apology from ‘20/20’s’ John Stossel!”
They were shocked when I came out of the ABC building and let them shout at me. Teachers said I had insulted their students. Some people said that I didn’t realize how hard their jobs were.
Weingarten devised a way to teach me. “Teach for a week!” she shouted at me, through the loudspeaker. “We’ve got high schools; we’ve got elementary schools.”
This idea was liked by teachers. They started chanting, “Teach, John, teach!”
I think I surprised them again by saying, “OK!”
Any classroom would be a good place for me to teach. It was something I would like to film.
Then they revealed their bureaucratic nature. They decided not to allow me to teach after repeatedly scheduling meetings.
Too important for government monopolies or unions to entrust children with, Schools will be better if there is competition and parental control.
After Glenn Youngkin won the race for governor, he said, “We’re going to introduce choice within our public school system.”
He will do it if it is possible.
John Stossel is author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.”
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