I too was a frequent protestor at the Capital on those cold winter days. I remember signs, songs, children, pizza young and old and a great deal of camaraderie as people walked around the square sharing stories and chanting slogans. I only saw one unintimidated conservative member of the legislature, Glen Grothman. We greeted each other and went on our way. I only heard vile words from 2 people..Vicki McKenna and Sarah Palin.
If teachers have it so easy, why don't you become a teacher? If public unions are so profitable, why don't you join one? If you want the benefits that union members have, why don't you organize for them? Teachers sacrificed pay raises and accepted low pay in return for earned benefits, like good healthcare and a pension. When was the last time you said to someone, "You're a teacher? You must be rich!" I guarantee you nobody said that to me when I decided to become a teacher. Instead, I was asked, "Are you sure? The pay isn't very good!"
And in fact, socio-economic status is still the single most important indicator of success in our public schools. Students in well-funded schools score among the top students in the world. Our problem is that our schools are not equitably funded, and too many of our children live in poverty. Countries like Finland that score at the top of the PISA tests make sure that schools in lower income areas or with challenges like high numbers of recent immigrants get extra funding to overcome those challenges. Do we do that in the USA?
Uuuh. You couldn't even look up the term "trickle down" in Wikipedia before making this post?
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