My friend Andrew Marcus directed the Juan Williams-narrated A Tale of Two Missions.
"Even America's best public schools in the most affluent areas are falling behind when compared to schools in the rest of the developed world," Williams states early on.
A few moments later he adds, "No single entity benefits more from the current system than the teachers unions. They obstruct and resist education reform whenever and however it is tried."
Watch the abridged internet version of the documentary:
Williams looks at Chicago unionized-schools and compares them to a successful charter high school, Noble, while dispelling myths about why they succeed--such as charter schools "pick and choose" their students. With the exception of siblings, Noble's students are selected by lottery.
Noble graduates 99 percent of its students, Chicago Public Schools only graduate 56 percent of their students. The Chicago Teachers Union's answer to any problem is always more money. But the CTU is a big part of this mess. Williams calls it "a teachers union that is so radically politicized that it has become dysfunctional."
Without union red tape to contend with, charter schools have fewer rules. Or in the words of one union protester in the film, "They have less rules." I hope that rabble-rouser isn't a grammar teacher.
The Marathon Pundit Family lived on Chicago's North Side until 1999. "We have to get out," I told my wife then, "we can't send our daughter to Chicago's public schools."
I'm so glad we left.
Hat tip to Big Government.
Related post:
Video: Chicago Teachers Union organizer welcomes Occupy Chicago to new home
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