America’s schools are failing. The United States ranks 40th in math, 25th in science and 24th in reading behind countries like Estonia—despite spending 31 percent more on education per pupil than the OECD average.
Yet teacher unions blame the problem on “disinvestment following the 2008 recession.” Now union bosses are viciously attacking Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos — a supporter of education reform — as “an actual danger to students.”
Why? Because DeVos believes in school choice, merit-based pay, and tenure reform — all of which threaten Big Labor’s public-school monopoly. In her home state of Michigan, charter schools consistently outperform traditional public schools, providing students with two months of additional gains in reading and math” every year. Stanford University research shows that “charter schools have significantly better results … for minority students who are in poverty.”
Why should they be stuck in failing public schools?
Education funding isn’t the problem. It’s big labor, America’s school bully.
Richard Berman, executive director, Center for Union Facts.
