Too many discussions supposedly improving education are about getting more public money from various government levels, or foundation money, rather than making education affordable to the citizens of the school district.

Affordability is directly connected to the cost of employees. Using political means the employees have increased their cost without any increase in productivity.At the same time the people paying the school taxes may not have increased, or most likely have decreased, incomes.

The school administrators know that political peace in the dpistrict means ignoring the lack of teacher productivity and spending their time looking for more government income rather than looking to what will make education better with the same or lowered income.

In other words, why should education salaries increase when we have so many remedial courses at the college level? Or why shop classes and band are being discontinued? The answer is the use of political power to funnel wealth towards employees and away from education.

Where does this political power emanate? From the schools becoming baby-sitters for two income families: when the teachers go on strike the parents are put into a quandary: what to do with their children when the schools are not babysitting.

No longer is the learning important, just keeping the children out of the way of earning money.

Should this situation be allowed to run our education system? Should teachers be forced to be more proficient to earn increased costs? Should students be forced to be responsible for their own educations and stop blaming teachers? Should we replace teachers after initial 5 year contracts? Older teachers are not necessarily better teachers than enthusiastic young teachers? Should teacher colleges be responsible for turning out competent teachers?

And should education be designed for the capabilities of the student so they have the best tools for which they are capable after they graduate?

Too much wealth is being directed to the K-12 education without good results. It's time to look at the bigger societal picture for education. It's time to look at hiring different people for administrators specializing in getting more money and teachers who want to be upper-middle class.