A few random observations... well ok, a half-dozen of them:
1. One seriously messed up excuse for a teacher (the sorry individual described in the OP) shouldn't tarnish the whole profession.
2. "Tenure"?!? What's that? I've been a public high school teacher for nearly 15 years, and we sure don't have it. For the first three years we are on "probationary contracts." Administration can choose not to renew our contracts for any reason, and they don't even have to tell us why. Just say "bye" --that's all. After three years of experience, and getting positive evaluations, we are placed on continuing contracts. Then, if administration chooses to fire us, they have to state a reason and we are entitled to contest the dismissal. That's all. It's not tenure, like a university professor has. It's just a chance to argue your case if someone wants to boot you out. Cops, firemen, and postal workers probably have way more job security. And sometimes better pay, too.
3. Dangerously powerful teachers unions? Not where I work. The NEA is practically laughed at by our Administration. I joined for the insurance policy they offered so I could afford to defend myself when some student gets mad over a grade and decides to accuse me of something sick. --Hey, I've seen things like that ruin the careers of some good people. Other than that, our "union" has no more power (out here in the "wild west") that an ordinary individual on his own has.
4. Teachers and their unions out of control? Good lord! Do you have any idea how badly we are micromanaged by layers upon layers of incompetent and overpaid administrators or management? Or how much time is taken away from teaching kids to comply with all the PC bureacracy, the testing, and bogus paperwork? Think of the kind of fun you have filling out all your income tax forms. Now layer the same kind of fun paperwork on top of all the other duties teachers have. Now do you get the idea?
5. Private schools the answer? OK, if you are rich enough. I was priveledged to attend a great boarding school for two years of high school, some 30 years back. But guess what? The way the cost of education has skyrocketed, that place now costs something like $30 grand a year. Well, it doesn't look like my kids are going there...LOL.
6. Private enterprise and the free market solves everything. Sure. Lets go back to the sweatshops of the "Guilded Age". Just don't blame me when the peasants rise up and storm the factories. Riots, strikes, oppression, real class warfare, and ultimately tyranical repression, are inevitable outcomes of applying such extremist ideologies... be they ultra-rightwing, or radical leftist ideologies. Remember the Soviet Union anyone?
Besides... the martial arts are taught privately (which is a good thing in my opinion), and the market rules. But still, that hasn't eliminated the bad teachers who are out there selling belts, abusing their students, degrading the quality of their arts and teaching absolute garbage. So why would it work any better in our education system? Just a thought...
