I knew what was coming. I knew from the pre-show questions the producer asked me off camera how “balanced” the Friends would be.
Q. Wouldn’t you say that the key to reform is to fire bad teachers, which is now impossible?
A. Well, I’m so glad you asked the question because a lot of people out there don’t understand that all teachers have is a fair way for a good teacher to defend herself if she is treated unfairly and that process is develo…
Q. Excuse me, but wouldn’t you say that it’s impossible to reform schools because unions protect bad teachers from being fired?
A. Again, there’s a lot of misunderstanding. Our unions reformed teacher pay and dismissal processes years ago to protect good people from being fired because an administrator didn’t like a teacher’s religion or wanted to pay men more than women or lay off black teachers before white teachers. We work to make sure good people are protected from discrim…
Q. Excuse me again, but wouldn’t you say that the problem with schools today comes down to bad teachers and the unions that protect them?
A. Oh fer cryin out loud are you totally out of your mi…
So, I knew what was coming.
I had my few minutes on Fox & Friends to discuss what needed to be done to help the children who live in our country’s most challenged neighborhoods and who come to school with every disadvantage imaginable.
I knew the questions would all be hostile. I knew that the guest on my right would blame our teachers. I knew the guest on my left would blame our unions. I didn’t want to blame anybody. I wanted to talk about Putnam City West High School. (more…)