Obama proposes more stimulus for his reelection campaign, I mean, teachers unions, I mean, teachers

Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Doug Ross:

Of course, it's not positioned that way in this laughable article from the Dissociative Press, which was authored by someone named "Josh Lederman" (if that is his real name).

The Obama administration unveiled plans Wednesday to create an elite corps of master teachers, a $1 billion effort to boost U.S. students' achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.

The program to reward high-performing teachers with salary stipends is part of a long-term effort by President Barack Obama to encourage education in high-demand areas that hold the key to future economic growth - and to close the achievement gap between American students and their international peers.

Teachers selected for the Master Teacher Corps will be paid an additional $20,000 a year and must commit to participate multiple years. The goal is to create a multiplier effect in which expert educators share their knowledge and skills with other teachers, improving the quality of education for all students.

Speaking at a rally for his re-election campaign in San Antonio on Tuesday, Obama framed his emphasis on expanded education funding as a point of contrast with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, whom he accused of prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy over reinvestment in the nation.

...The administration will make $100 million available immediately out of an existing fund to incentivize top-performing teachers. Over the longer term, the White House said it plans to launch the program with $1 billion included in Obama's budget request for fiscal year 2013.

Of course, the real way to solve the education problem is to ban collective bargaining and to support school choice, especially in urban areas. Charter schools are proven to work because they foster competition, innovation and merit-based achievement.

Collective bargaining pits unions against students and it has failed repeatedly, decade after decade, as perfectly depicted in the accompanying chart.

How many more failed stimulus programs -- which serve only to stimulate Democrat campaign coffers through mandatory union dues -- must America's children pay for?

That's a rhetorical question: because if Democrats have their way, they'll continue spending borrowed money until the economy collapses under the weight of national insolvency.