WHAT A DIFFERENCE A STATE MAKES Steve: Sounds like the teachers unions aren’t really for the kids, huh? Me: Ya think! At the union’s behest, firing bad teachers is just about impossible. In fact, ten years ago, a case was brought against CTA, claiming that on average, just 2.2 of the state’s 300,000 teachers (0.0008 percent) were dismissed for unprofessional conduct or unsatisfactory performance in any given year. Compare that to 8 percent of employees in the private sector dismissed annually for cause.
California and Arizona offer startlingly opposite educational scenarios.
My nephew Steve recently informed me that he and his wife Andrea – lifelong New Yorkers –want to move west. Highest on their list of priorities for a future home is fulfilling the educational needs of their kids, 5-year-old Danny and 4-year-old Molly. Having lived in the Golden State for almost 40 years, they sought my advice. The conversation went something like this: