I ran across an article in our local newspaper about NYC teachers who are accused of wrong-doing being paid to do nothing. They are relegated to a "rubber room" during school hours, and retain full salary and benefits. This is done so the teachers can maintain their right to "due process".
I'm sure the AP article emphasizes the extreme cases, but check out some of the reasons that teachers are not teaching. Reasons range from pushing a student engaged in a fight to a teacher using abusive language with a student who cut her with scissors. And again, officials "blame the union rules", not the system which allows such a ridiculous situation to exist! This reflects the systemic nature of the problems in our educational system.
From a broader societal standpoint, this story reflects the zealotry we've become accustomed to, and the litigious extremes many Americans now seem to embrace. Plainly stated, we have become extremely over-sensitive! Political correctness is taking precedence over common sense. As a result, too many times our rights overshadow the responsibilities associated with those rights. Is this what the founding fathers intended when they penned the Declaration of Independence?
The educational system is a reflection of our society. Our society has gone to an extreme, and the key to changing that is common sense and balance. Sometimes a "trip to the wood shed" (as Dale Carnegie calls it) is necessary. And not every situation we encounter needs to be adjudicated in the legal system. Finally, Larry Winget has a point......Take Responsibility!!!!
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