Response to Eastwick on Education

[SingingAnalyst]

As a teacher--specifically, a teacher at an all-male Catholic prep school--I disagree with Eastwick.

First of all, I am saddened by the public vs. private education paradigm. I see public schools and public school teachers as my allies, not my competitors.

Secondly, when Eastwick mentions that literacy is pretty much guaranteed to be here to stay, I disagree. Employers today claim that many young people entering the workforce are lacking in basic knowledge. Functional illiteracy is still high. The reasons for this and possible solutions can be debated, but few would deny it is fact. Take the analogy to landing people on the moon. The fact that we did it six times in 1969-1972 does not mean we could do it today.

Finally, does Eastwick even think where the money spent on education goes? It goes to administrators and teachers! We can argue about whether some school administrators are overpaid--I believe that yes, some are--but one of the surest ways to lose my sympathy is to argue that teachers are overpaid. It means a lot to me when a former student comes back to visit the school and me--we made a difference in that person's life.