Chicago teachers asking for 30% raises over next 2 years

[Vosem]

The problem is the kids not the teachers. The kids nowadays are lazy f[inks] who don't try and whose parents are too inept to motivate them to study and do well in school. If kids actually studied and worked hard in school, these schools would be performing fine. Instead, parents excuse their terrible parenting by blaming teachers.

This goes against all of the data out there. IQ is rising, and has to be rejiggered every so often so that the average is still 100 (by 1914 standards, the average IQ today is 124): http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2001/04/22/are-we-getting-smarter.html

Students are reading more and doing better in mathematics: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=38

Graduation rates are on a sharp increase: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/figures/fig_03.asp?referrer=figures

[Vosem]

After all, what is more stupid than getting up early every day and spending your life at a job?

My initial reaction to this statement has to be 'not doing so'.

[Vosem]

Isn't strike-buster Rahm Emmanuel supposed to be a "progressive"?

This is America, my friend. Strike-busting Rahm Emanuel isn't just supposed to be a progressive -- he is, by our standards, a progressive.