Why does it seem that those with the power to make a real difference rarely do, and those trying to make a change with limited resources, shoulder the blame for those who turn their back on the most vulnerable in our society – The Children?

War on Education

For the past 10 years, there has been an concentrated effort by the Republican party to redefine the state of education in The United States, attacking teachers and their Unions accusing them of taking advantage of the system and blaming them for the decline in educational achievement. The No Child Left Behind law that President Bush implemented during his time in the White House, changed the way children are being taught in the classroom. The Law mandates that teachers abandon traditional curriculum structures, in exchange for a standard that teaches the children lessons geared toward preparation for standardized testing such as the PSSA TEST.

“Public education is under attack. We are living through a movement in which schooling is being radically re-envisioned as a private rather than a public enterprise, with little debate over whether the ideology of the free market belongs in American schools in the first place” (Rowen, 2015).

In 2008 the Republican party went on a war path, hell bent on eradicating the collective bargaining rights of all unions in the country, and they did an admirable job selling the argument that unions where bloated bureaucracy full of double talking two bit hustlers, living well on the backs of their members.

They did such a great job, they won almost all their races that next cycle in 2010, state, local and federal, then suddenly teachers all over the country where fighting for their pensions and benefits, contractual agreements were being scrutinized in some states like here in Pennsylvania, and at that point the state of education was officially sent into a downward spiral.

The educational impact will be fewer teachers, counselors and associates working with our children, eliminating educational programs, eliminating fine arts and other activity programs, delaying curriculum and technology purchases (Rowen, 2015).

For instance in Philadelphia, schools began to close, there were three different superintendents in 5 years, principals were shifted around like musical chairs, and teachers were losing their jobs, causing most schools in the district to fall into disarray. Imagine your 2nd grader getting sick and there being no nurse to tend to his or her needs. This is the extent to which the SRC in Philadelphia went to, to punish our children, and to cause parent disapproval so the Governor (Governor Corbett) and those in line with his Union busting plan, (incorrectly named School Choice) could rally support which would intern, cause a mass exodus of families from the Philadelphia School District, into privately owned, but state funded Charter Schools.

Citation: Bob Rowen, 2015. The Republican War On Education. Retrieved from; http://reverbpress.com/politics/republican-war-education/