craigsub, you are obviously an intelligent and well informed person on a broad range of issues. The teacher union leadership and the education elites do indeed suck, but scrapping public schools rather than reforming them is a bad idea. The reforms should be allowed at the local level, free from the control of the politicians, and the changes should be made by the experts - the teachers.

Why do you feel that a teacher is unqualified to make decisions regarding what he teaches, or how he teaches it? I have two credentials, have taught for 11 years, passed a plethora of competency tests, spent roughly $40K on my education, participated in countless staff development activities and even now continue to go to school myself. But you would prefer that politicians, administrators controlled by local school boards, OR PARENTS! be in charge of making decisions for me in the classroom? Why did I spend so much time, effort, and money to become an expert in education? Did you tell your wife's doctor how to treat her allergic reaction the other night? Would you tell your attorney which cases to cite as precedents? Your tax advisor? etc...

I won't bore you guys with a dissertation of what's wrong with public schools, or why private schools have inherent advantages that frequently lead to greater success (it has nothing to do with administrative control), or how most administrators are failed teachers. Unless, of course, you really want to know.