Things Two: The War on Public Education

Things You Didn't Know You Wanna Know That You Should Know

There is a war raging in America right now, and there are no signs it's going to end anytime soon. It's a war on public education, and it is affecting an institution that is already struggling with a national teacher shortage that is at crisis levels. It's no secret that the Republican party has never been friendly with our public education system, having made numerous attempts over the years to slash funding for a variety of public education programs. And now, using local school boards as a kind of weapon, they are able to modify and alter the content of the curriculum to reflect more conservative ideals and values that more closely parallel those of the GOP. In most cases, teachers are completely bypassed during the process, which adds insult to injury, given the lack of respect and ridiculously low salaries that are already standards within the teaching profession. Our featured guest is Amie Baca-Oehlert, President of the Colorado Education Association, and she helps sort it all out and to help us better understand what has caused the teacher shortage, how to fix it, and how to show our appreciation for teachers---and what's next in the War on Public Education.