Massachusetts teachers union: "Educators across the country right now have a tremendous amount of leverage because the economy can't get up and running until we just essentially determine that it's safe to go back."
"I wouldn't use the 'hostage' terminology but there is a big point there."
"That raises the question of how we can tie these fights together"
Arizona teacher: "Unfortunately for you, you need us [...] We have more power than you do. If we decide not to work, all it takes is 20% of teachers to call out and a school has to close."
This uneven power dynamic is the main problem with K-12 education
The system gets your children's education dollars regardless of how well it meets their needs
We should fund students directly and empower all families.
"The parents are unaware of the things that need to be taught in certain grades. That is fine for a very educated parent [...] but the average parent trusts the school system to educate their children"
This is a paternalistic argument against school choice
The reality is that families know more about their children's needs than bureaucrats sitting in offices hundreds of miles away
Families also have stronger incentives to make good decisions for their own children.