Conservative bloggers and pundits are raging against Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year.
Science teacher Megan Hall made an audacious statement. As we all surely know by now, only conservative bloggers and pundits are allowed to make audacious statements.
Hall told the annual gathering of Minnesota teachers:
“There is one other thing that I think about when I think about generosity. I think about all of the teachers in St. Paul public schools who gave up our cost of living raise in 2010 in an effort to limit class sizes in our district.
“Teachers are persistent and responsible and generous because we believe that every child in America, regardless of circumstances of birth, deserves a decent chance at a good life. [Applause] From where I stand, teachers create equality of opportunity. From where I stand, teaching is a profession that takes a gritty patriotism. And from where I stand, teachers are American democracy’s last line of defense against the tyranny of the 1 percent. [More applause]”
Shocking, isn’t it? How dare she! How self-centered! Why doesn’t she realize that she is putting teachers first, those greedy people who demand to be paid, to get health care, to collect pensions for a lifetime of easy labor in the classroom?
Why does she not show proper deference to the billionaires? Without them, where would she be? Doesn’t this teacher know that only billionaires put StudentsFirst? Billionaires work every day to make sure that zip code is no child’s destiny? The secret is to have so many homes that no one really knows what your zip code is, but that’s a story for another day.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I was happy to see an actual teacher be commended this way. I have often thought that the “Teacher of the Year” awards (like the Milken award) were rigged by administrators… You can’t even get nominated without your principals agreement.
Perhaps it depends on the state, because she is the real thing!
“The secret is to have so many homes that no one really knows what your zip code is, but that’s a story for another day.”
I like it. 🙂
Teachers are great for society the 1% is far greater for society. Teachers who teach kids that the 1% are hurting society hurt society. People like that should not be allowed to teach our kids. In her defense she didn’t use it in the classroom and if she is worthy of teacher of the year she wouldn’t use that kind of over the top politics in the classroom.
She’s great.
Since you’ve taken it upon yourself to defend her statements, would you mind sharing your thoughts on what specifically has been tyrannical by the 1% towards education? What has the 1% done to make the lives of students and teachers a tyranny?
I could cite the untold billions of dollars spent by the 1% to ensure the poorest of schools have the same, if not better, technology than their suburban counterparts. I could cite the 1% that provide scholarships to the poorest of poor to help them realize their dream of higher education.
Please, enlighten us; what has the 1% done to spread tyranny through education?
Dramatic income inequality is toxic to the entire society. It is sad that some people think nothing of spending $1,000 on a bottle of wine, while others have nothing to eat. This is not healthy for society.
Read “The Spirit Level.”
But don’t DARE say that the public schools are political indoctrination centers.
I know – it only counts if you disagree with the indoctrination.
Teachers like Ms. Hall are but one of many reasons I pulled my kids out of Saint Paul’s wretched school district.