“It makes one wonder….. perhaps our legislators are crafting our laws based on some other state’s issues? That could explain everything…..”
This week’s headline reads…… “Schools get $183M less under AZ budget.”
A few weeks ago we were invited to an education event put on by a conservative action group. A group we belong to has many different members of diverse political leanings. In an effort to listen to all points of views we accepted and brought a few friends. Our friends are very well versed in education, law, policy, equal access, and various other subjects; an overall extremely well educated crew especially on education issues.
This event centered on some education movie with a discussion at the end of it. It was not a memorable movie and its theme and specific issues addressed had virtually nothing to do with the schools in Arizona. But hey, when you are selling propaganda, facts are simply annoying. The movie portrayed out-of-control and greedy unions that protect through tenure unqualified and lazy teachers.
Arizona teachers have very few protections through unions or laws. Students have fewer protections.
Once the movie was over, Terri Proud proudly took over the “discussion.” She went on and on about teachers and unions and her impression of them. It was clear that is was only an impression; not grounded in many hard facts. One gentleman responded to her carping and asked, “How do we change such and such?” Proud proceeded to ignore his question or more likely misunderstood his question and proceeded to explain to this pretty bright group how a law is made. It was bizarre; what adult assumes that other adults do not know how a law becomes a law? Maybe it is the kind of adult who just learned how a law becomes a law and is desperate to share their new knowledge?
We all left during or immediately after her lecture. It was clear that this “education” candidate was not an educated or education representative. We were all struck by the apparent failure of Proud and her group to recognize the key differences between the schools portrayed in the movie and the schools here in Arizona. It makes one wonder….. Perhaps our legislators are crafting our laws based on some other state’s issues and unique situations? That could explain everything………..