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Guns Guns Guns
Guest
Karen Lewis has emerged as the new champion for millions of frustrated public school teachers.
Teachers are sick and tired of being made into scapegoats by politicians and corporate honchos who never spent a single day in front of a classroom.
They are fed up with overcrowded classrooms in rundown buildings, with bureaucrats who keep hiring high-paid consultants despite huge budget deficits, with new state laws that tie teacher evaluation to their students’ test scores, with the constant closing of neighborhood schools and the stampede to charter schools.
But most of all, they are furious at the lack of respect for them and their profession.
Until this week, no one had found a way to turn back the tide of teacher bashing.
Then the feisty firebrand Lewis burst on the scene.
For a week, she went toe-to-toe against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama White House chief-of-staff known for his short fuse, foul mouth and take-no-prisoners style.
And by any measure, Lewis came come out a winner.
The preliminary deal that emerged over the weekend — once it’s approved by the rank and file this week — will restore respect for teachers nationwide.
Teachers are sick and tired of being made into scapegoats by politicians and corporate honchos who never spent a single day in front of a classroom.
They are fed up with overcrowded classrooms in rundown buildings, with bureaucrats who keep hiring high-paid consultants despite huge budget deficits, with new state laws that tie teacher evaluation to their students’ test scores, with the constant closing of neighborhood schools and the stampede to charter schools.
But most of all, they are furious at the lack of respect for them and their profession.
Until this week, no one had found a way to turn back the tide of teacher bashing.
Then the feisty firebrand Lewis burst on the scene.
For a week, she went toe-to-toe against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama White House chief-of-staff known for his short fuse, foul mouth and take-no-prisoners style.
And by any measure, Lewis came come out a winner.
The preliminary deal that emerged over the weekend — once it’s approved by the rank and file this week — will restore respect for teachers nationwide.