The same message repeated often enough becomes truth. “Tired old ideas that don’t work” has been the theme from the beginning of President Obama’s quest for the White House. The problem is he is using tired old ideas that have been proven multiple times not to work. So why does he continue to pursue them? It is simple. His ideas will lead the country toward his goal of making AMerica a Socialist nation. He truly believes his daughters will be better off if told by big government exactly what they can and cannot do in their lives. He believes they will be better off giving the fruits of their labor to big government to distribute as it sees fit. He truly believes his daughters will be better off under his women’s health initiative to control their sex lives. He truly believes you and I will be better off if we split the pot with Uncle so he can fly around the country to make speeches about Republicans who propose to use the same tired old ideas that don’t work.
I am a Republican and I propose a new idea that Progressives have not come up with yet. It is the type of idea that will catch fire and move the movement ahead with the speed of light, except for one thing, they will not buy into it. It is too simple for the complex Progressive brain to comprehend.
The Chicago teachers strike got me to thinking about all the money we spend to teach kids nothing. The problem is that we are paying the wrong people. We should pay the kids minimum wage for the hours they attend school. If they complete homework and/or put in extra study hours at school they are get overtime. To make school even more interesting, students will get a cash bonus if they legitimately pass the advancement requirement to the next grade level in reading, writing, arithmetic, US history, and Civics.
Teachers get paid for each pupil who advances legitimately.
I bet that even though this plan gives a ton of money to the students, that we would come out ahead and end the need for the Department of Education. Think of it, with money coming in for attending school, the kids could afford to eat at home and pack their own lunches too. That is another savings. This program is not welfare folks, we are paying the kids to learn. It is child labor. If they don’t learn to read, write, math, history, and civics they learn the facts of life that others who do learn more will advance.
I could go on about the positives in this plan but it would only become overbearing. It is simple enough for even the most challenged teacher’s union boss and politician to understand.
Now, isn’t that a great Progressive idea? Lets hurry and trash the Constitution so we can use it.
Related articles
- The Hidden History of the Progressive Movement (genomega1.wordpress.com)
- Dreaming Up a New America: Progressive Education and the Perversion of American Democracy (conservativeread.com)
- Ryan and Romney Want to Party Like It’s 1899 (progressive.org)
- Child Slaves in the 21st Century (sonofjames.wordpress.com)
- Back To School And A Renewed Call For Progressive Education (ourfuture.org)
- 79% of Chicago 8th Graders ‘Not Proficient in Reading’… (tarpon.wordpress.com)
- How much do teacher strikes hurt kids? (lbo-news.com)
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- Big Government Versus Small Government (shaggieshapiro.wordpress.com)
Filed under: Cartoons, Conservative, Election, family, politics, Santa is Missing | Tagged: Barack Obama, Blame Bush, Blame Romney, Chicago, Child labour, Civic, Obama, Progressive education, Teacher's Union, United States, United States Department of Education, White House |
Grumpa,
Your response illustrates the point I was trying to make perfectly. I believe that you respect teachers. I believe that you respect all human beings – even those whom you fundamentally disagree with. But that simply isn’t the message you convey in the opening to this and many of your other posts. If your goal is to “get through to teachers without pissing them off too much” then don’t open your post in a manner that you clearly know will piss them off. Generalizations attacks and insults don’t accomplish anything. That is what is destroying our country right now, and both sides are equally guilty. Everyone recognizes our problems, but instead of saying “hey, lets put aside our differences and find a solution” we feel the need to blame eachoter and.
One can not be heard unless they are willing to listen. One can’t change someone else’s opinion unless they are willing to change their own. One can’t be right unless the are willing to honestly accept the possibility that they may be wrong.
Sorry, I was editing my comment and accidentally clicked ‘publish’ but I think I made my point though. Please don’t misunderstand me – if your blog is simply a place to express your opinion and vent about issues that get you mad, then by all means keep up the good work. You do it quite well. But if you want to create dialogue and work towards solving our problems as you suggest in your response to my first comment, I would recommend that you carefully consider not what you say, but how you say it. I think you might be surprised to find out how much we all have in common if you are willing to let go of some of your assumptions and generalizations.
Thanks again for a thought provoking analysis. Your comment shows why you are a teacher, and probably a darned good one too. You are right in that there are times when I unload about what bothers me and I should probably take a walk instead of expressing my sarcastic satirical opinions into the ether-world.
Reblogged this on News You May Have Missed and commented:
A Brand New Progressive Idea
Thanks for the reblog.
Hey Grumpa,
If you don’t mind some friendly advice from a young progressive (although I think our definitions of progressive are a bit different, but anyway….) all of your posts I have read are pretty clearly intended for an audience that shares your views. It isn’t my place to tell anyone how to express themselves, but the fact is, you have some great ideas that deserve intelligent dialogue.
If I hadn’t read your blog before, I might not have gotten past the first couple paragraphs, but I’m glad I did because your ideas for education are interesting and dare I say – I completely agree that it would work. Whether we pay them or not, the fact is that children do go to work every day just like us adults. Designing a public education system that treats school like work and compensates children appropriately would model the system they will be expected to adapt to when they turn 18 and better prepare them for the ‘real world’.
I don’t agree with your idea on teacher compensation though. Every child is different and requires a different type and amount of support. Why should some teacher make more than me simply because he/she got a particularly advanced group of students that year? Furthermore, I have never given up on a student – but sadly I have had students who gave up on themselves. Should I have to take a pay cut because a teenager decided to choose his gang or drugs over high school?
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Matt
Matt: Thanks for your insightful comment. I respect teachers, and the work they do. I abhor their union as I do all unions. That is fodder for another discussion. My problem lies with a system that denies that our kids are coming out of school unprepared. The amount of money being thrown at education (and ever other problem for that matter) is egregious. Track money spent against student outcomes and the answer is there. WHere does the money go? Yes, some of it goes to teachers, but the bulk of it feeds a bureaucracy that does nothing but feed itself.
If I can get through to a few teachers without pissing them off too much to change their minds about the real problems in their system, perhaps they can begin change from within.
On the topic of Progressivism, I define Progressivism as a system determined to trash the US Constitution, and to steal Liberty from “We the People.” Woodrow Wilson had his head up his anus when he declared the movement. He seemed to be in a stalemate about how to run the country within the framework of the Document. Had he the real ideas, he would have embraced the Constitution and worked to revise it as intended to convince the population of its need. Instead we have a religion of followers with a hundred year history of tearing the country apart.