I’ve got an admission to make:  I’m exhausted by the “kill-em-all” mentality that seems to be seeping further and further into our conversations about reforming education, and if one more crack-pot legislator or out-of-touch talk show hostess “declares war” on teachers, I’m likely to go a bit berserker.

Seriously people.  Just LOOK at what one of Tennessee’s elected officials had to say about education:

(download slide and view original image credit on Flickr)

Soak in that for a minute would ya, and then explain to me how a battlefield approach to school reform on the part of legislators is the right strategy for finding productive solutions to the challenges of educating children in America.

I don’t care what you think of “the system.”

There are millions of teachers who are working hard on behalf of the children in their classrooms every single day.  Most genuinely care about your kids and—-regardless of what the Good Senator Summerville and his tactless lackeys believe—most have invaluable expertise that will be needed if we truly hope to redesign our schools.

When you demonize education, you’re demonizing educators.

#thatsnuts

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Original Image Credit:  Crown Royale Infinity Rifle by V&A Steamworks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32482342@N05/4837135790/sizes/l/

Licensed Creative Commons Attribution on April 2, 2011