In this 2014 Midterm elections, it was about education reformers. Republican Governors Rick Snyder, Michigan; Scott Walker, Wisconsin; Nathan Deal, Georgia; and Sam Brownback, Kansas all cut through a flood of negative campaigning with the American Federation of Teachers Union ads to prevail and win.
It really was a 'textbook' victory for all students to win more than just another election year of empty political promises. It was for conservative programs aimed at improving educational standards. The Federal Government "Common Core" program is an abysmal failure in offering basic education subjects, poor execution of teaching methods and dismal high school graduation numbers results. Our textbooks need to once again start teaching more about American exceptionalism in principles, values and pride about why we are the greatest country in world history, second to none.
The very uber-liberal, progressive, left-wing bullying tactics of the American Federation of Teachers Union literally backfired. Their ad campaigns lied with statistics to support politicians promoting more union job growth along with union dues, burgeoning union benefits programs with more taxpayer supported spending--it was all about more union jobs, not better education curriculums.
The "Big Lie" of the American Federation of Teachers Union: "These
Private Sector Workers under Union Workers tax burdens. governors were for 'cutting' education spending. Some of the examples were blatant like: "Sam Brownback signed the largest single cut in Kansas history." or "Rick Scott took a $1.3 billion sledgehammer to schools." or "Rick Snyder slashed $1 billion from education." or that "Scott Walker was slipping tens of $ millions to those bent on privatizing education along with handouts to businesses and very the wealthy." All of this lying campaign ad rhetoric has since been debunked and has ceased as the electorate who were the consumers of the ads did not buy it, voting all those Republican Governors into office.
Even the North Carolina Republican U.S. Senator, Thom Tillis was accused by outgoing Senator Kay Hagen, who Thom unseated, with unfounded 'phantom education cuts'. Hagan was saying during the campaign, "Thom Tillis' cuts to education hurt No. Carolina students." Rick Scott who championed 'school vouchers' in poor Florida districts with positive results was attacked about that education from V.P. Joanne McCall of the Florida Education Association. McCall warned, "Voucher schools are largely unregulated." and "...are a risky experiment that gambles taxpayer's money and children's lives." Those comments beg one to ask some questions to that Union Vice President:
--[Cricket Chirps] - [Silence]
- Just who for years has been regulating Florida education full-time while daily those Florida public schools and teachers in the federally funded U.S. education system have gone downhill?
- Could it be any of those American Federation of Teachers Union members are responsible?
In a U.S. educational system rigged to protect the hierarchical bureaucracy, on the chopping block in ongoing nationwide elections will be education reforms, the red meat that feeds everyone's appetites: the electorate, politicians, lobbyists, special interest groups, teachers and students. Like diet plans, different size portions must be served to sustain education while accordingly anticipating growth. It relies on the balance of teacher salaries and tenure reforms, union benefits and pension fund distribution verses pro-school-choice programs and school voucher systems that affects costs which ultimately dictate curriculum with its intended improved results in the students' overall education.
Why should education matter? Why should schools matter? Why should students matter? Why should Americans citizens matter? Why should anyone anywhere matter? Why it should matter is because this political-socio-economic experiment called democracy is considered by many as about the poorest form of government ever conceived, but it sure beat outs whatever is second best! Anyone can rise above and be successful if they get educated in order to get ahead in America--I personally know because I did it too.
Our country is dependent on the future, the dreams and aspirations of a new generation to build on the past while evolving into the next new challenges. It takes education and the freedom to recognize what America has and is doing within the framework of its founders' U.S. Constitutional laws, not what progressive liberals think should be the laws. That is the best answer to all of the "Whys".
