The nonsense about needing to fire teachers! This is absurd. I have a Republican cousin who bragged about getting out of the Airforce and on the teaching gravy train. Kiss him goodbye after the teacher training program. He couldn't hack the rigors and reality of teaching, ... anywhere. Fact, our colleges do a great job of preparing teachers to teach.
We had a new music teacher come straight out of college. She was awesome. As a new teacher, she welcomed discipline and would straighten the kids out, the minute they came into her charge, ... even if the kids' regular teacher was present. It was amazing to watch her in action, and that is what good teacher preparation programs do. Don't listen to the Altars who claim one out of 10 teachers need to be fired; the man knows nothing about which he writes, when it comes to education.
Charter schools, a fad I wouldn't bet my kids on. Let's face it, a charter school is no better than a new, untrained teacher candidate. As parents, we should want what is best for our students. This means elective subjects can be just as important as those non-electives. My own four kids would never been happy without Thespians, video production, music, Home and Family Science (Home Economics,) the school marching band, and even their own "pick-up bands." Can you imagine my youngest son, working up a band using members of a charter school! In fact, whenever his band would perform, dozens of students would actually make a mosh-pit. And, by the way, all of my kids were gifted, in some area, and as parents, it was our duty to find those gifted areas and make sure our children's needs were met.
