Teachers' Unions throw Kryptonite against "Waiting For Superman" movie fighting for charter schools,

Waiting for Superman is a documentary that plays up the concept of charter schools where student performance, and not teacher tenure or other union demands, are of most importance. Of course, the teachers unions, who care only about continued union dues that drive their political advocacy and not childrens' education, are the proverbial kryptonite to any meaningful reform of public education. You can see the Kryptonite on full display as union members poo-poo the documentary in the press. From The Detroit News: Educators react to 'Superman'

I will stab Superman if he threatens teacher union benefits

David Hecker, president of the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, said the film was not fair to public schools.

"Waiting for 'Superman'" is an attack on public education. It's an attack on teachers, and it's an attack on school units," Hecker told The News. "We don't need to wait for Superman. You walk into any public school and you see superheroes every day."

The American Federation of Teachers is the Otis (Lex Luther's personal assistant in the original Superman) of education in Detroit Public Schools, representing a district that is the worst in the nation with a pathetic graduation rate of 1 in 4. ONE IN FOUR! What Hecker is saying is that he wants to continue the status quo. For many years now, support for public education has diverged from support for public schools. They are no longer the same thing and for him to say that the documentary is an "an attack on public education" is backwards from reality. Schools need competition, not a monopoly that has made them lazy. Charter schools are not by themselves a solution. I would prefer to see each school stand alone and fight for students that have vouchers attached to them. The better schools will grow and prosper. The bad schools would close. As it should be in a free market. There is absolutely no excuse in keeping children in failed schools, and offer multi-year solution to fix a problem that current children will never see.

So that brings us to Lex Luther, currently played by actress Governor Jennifer Granholm, who has done everything she could to NOT change the status quo. Remember years ago when a wealthy businessman wanted to donate $200 million to build charter schools in Detroit and Kwame told him to go pound sand? Remember at that time Granholm coming out and telling Kwame to stick it and forced the building of those schools anyway? Yeah - me neither. She sat mute, bought and paid for by unions. Laughably, she had some comments about Waiting for Superman:

Granholm said she hopes the film is a "catalyst for change" in making schools better for all students.

"We have to do whatever it takes to make sure every child has a quality education," Granholm said before the screening.

"That's not happening right now."

Uh - where the hell has she been the last 8 years on this issue?!?!?! AWOL. She has been the Lex Luther of education reform. Nothing was going to change on her watch. For 8 years she watched while children in Detroit were deprived of a quality education and instead of doing something she held the children out as hostages for tax increases instead, and that by her own admission: Granhom admits she is holding students "HOSTAGE" for a tax increase! Those same teachers unions that are the bane of public education pushed her through to a 2nd term in office after all, spending a whole lot of money bilked directly from taxpayers. And they are bilking a lot: MEA extorts $42 per student raking in $66.3 million, but claim $124 million loss! Only spends 25% on representation! Exit question: will RINO Rick Snyder tackle education reform? As with all RINOs, you just never know.

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/10/teachers-unions-throw-kryptonite.html

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