Public School

In the midst of a hiring freeze that has left schools with temporary principals and classrooms with substitute teachers, the Montgomery County [Md.] Board of Education took out help-wanted advertisements to fill a pair of board staff positions at salaries of up to $98,000.

The Virginia Department of Education proposed that state schools enable students to play seven "life roles": "fulfilled individual," "supportive person," "lifelong learner," "expressive contributor," "quality worker," "informed citizen," "environmental steward."

From the anti-discrimination code of a Wisconsin school district: The Nicolet High School District is committed to fair and equal employment opportunity for each person regardless of age, race, color... handicap... marital status, sex, sexual orientation... arrest record, conviction record...

When Charles Hayden of Pittsburgh learned that his son was in danger of failing seventh grade at Harrold Middle School, he took action. He tutored the 13-year-old two hours a day for 11 weeks. The boy finished with an 85.8 average. His father was arrested for taking him out of study hall for the home teaching.

From Math for a Change, a mathematics textbook written by Kevin J. Mistrik and Robert C. Thul, who teach at Catholic high schools in Chicago. The workbook, published by the Mathematics Teachers' Association of Chicago and Vicinity, contains "thirty-one situations of injustice that need mathematics in order to be fully understood":

In 1992 Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs made approximately $7,000,000. He played 158 games. An average Catholic-high-school teacher makes approximately $30,000 per years working eight hours a day over a 180-day school year.

1. Calculate how much that teacher gets paid per day, and compare that with what Ryne Sandberg was paid per game in 1992.

2. Assuming that a ballplayer's workday is six hours, compare the average teacher's pay per hour with that of Mr. Sandberg.

3. How many years would it take a teacher to make as much money as Ryne did?

4. Is it fair for Ryne Sandberg to make so much more than a teacher? When answering this question, be sure to take into consideration the good each person contributes to society, the amount of time and money each has to invest in order to prepare for work, and other factors that may be pertinent.

Maybe it is time to return to Heather Has Two Mommies (or you could think about sending your kids to private school).

In public school we are all "equal learners set before the teachers for molding." What if we don't want to be molded? My Global Studies teacher makes fun of me, and it hurts me on the inside.... Sometimes I cry myself to sleep. I'm sorry I'm white.

-- Jeremiah Pond, October 18, 1997

IF all people could afford private education then perhaps their children would already be there. Sending your children to private schools isn't the answer, you shouldn't just walk the other way.

-- anonymous anonymous, November 24, 1997

Maybe I missed something...when I was in public school beginning 40 years ago, I remember that information may have been controlled but none seemed to be denied if I could find it. Perhaps I had an advantage by realizing early that there was no requirement to actually believe what was being put forward. Shouldn't teachers spark curiosity instead of dispensing some political or religious- based rote? It seems in the 60's we began to find out that some of what we had been taught in the past was incorrect in so much as respecting points of view. Since that can no longer be hidden, the next best thing is to incorrectly teach it by making one feel responcible for the past instead of the future.

-- Mark Draper, March 29, 1999

First I'd like to say that I love this whole web site... however, I have never subscribed to the belief that sports figures are overpaid. I'm not as eloquent as other writers, so for support, I point anyone who reads this to www.lp.org, or alternately, read any of Ayn Rand's works. I think using this as an example on a web site like this is a blatant contradiction of itself - Should we regulate how much someone makes merely because we believe they should make a certain amount? Of course not... the job market is open to all. If a Catholic school teacher is unfulfilled at his position, he is more than free to move elsewhere.

-- Matt Thornhill, January 9, 2001

While I agree with you that Govt. shouldn't be concerned with the equality of pay between sports players and private school teachers. I must point out that comparing the two is not really what you should do to uphold the Libertarian and in most cases Ayn Rand's ideals.Private schools are built and funded entirely by private funds.They pay all of their own expenses,yet they supply a very valuable service to the community.On the other hand,Sport franchises have their facilities built for them using our tax dollars costing tax payers billions of dollars with limited advantages for the common taxpayer.Therefore the sportsfranchise can afford to pay their employees alot more, because they are subsidized by the American taxpayer and the private schools are forced to pay their own way.

-- Charles Flanigan, December 1, 2003