Stephen Singer writes about the current Age of Ignorance.
He writes:
“All-in-all, it’s been a crazy news cycle.
“If one thing was made clear during the last seven plus days, it’s this:
“Many people have no idea what a school should be.
“Take West Virginia, the site of a recently resolved statewide teacher strike.
“After years of watching the cost of living rise while wages remained stagnant, educators took to the streets to demand enough money that they wouldn’t have to quit their teaching jobs and look for work elsewhere.
“It’s a reasonable request.
“Imagine if we didn’t pay doctors enough to afford to practice medicine. Imagine if we didn’t pay lawyers enough to afford to practice law.
“Teachers just wanted enough money so they could focus on educating the next generation and still get perks like food and shelter.
“However, West Virginia is a self-confessed conservative state where self-identifying conservatives unashamedly explain that a full-throated expression of their conservative values includes the idea that you shouldn’t have to pay people a living wage for a hard day’s work.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
State senator Arvon’s callous comment, “The teachers have to understand that West Virginia is a red state, and the free handouts are over,” reflects a common misconception among many in the south and some in the north. I have to admit I have heard similar comments from my New Jersey brother that passed away last year. The ignorant statement stems from the fact that conservatives seek low taxes, and they believe teachers are preventing this from happening. I also believe there is a touch of sexism in this remark, even though Arvon is a female. It is rare the public vents over the cost of police or fire fighters. In Florida, I have seen some cities offer raises to police and other public employees while offering nothing to teachers. Maybe it is the fact that most communities vote on school budgets that some members of the public feel they can take their frustrations out on teachers. It is a form of public employee bullying.
I have certainly noticed every single time when the largely female profession of teaching has been publicly maligned and forced to take lower pay, while, in the very same locale, the largely male professions of firefighting and policing have not only been lauded but protected from cuts.
Another insightful post. Thanks, Steven!
One minor quibble: “However, West Virginia is a self-confessed conservative state where self-identifying conservatives unashamedly explain that a full-throated expression of their conservative values includes the idea that you shouldn’t have to pay people a living wage for a hard day’s work.”
Those “self-identifying conservatives” are not really conservatives. They are reactionary regressives or is that regressive reactionaries. Take your pick, but they aren’t “conservative” as they wish to go back to a time (MAGA) in this country’s history that never existed nor ever will exist, except in their own distorted minds.
Anyone remember the old Little Caesar’s “Pizza Pizza” commercial? It featured a rather stodgy Boy Scout leader, pretty clearly intended to be conservative, saying “If I get two pizzas, I’ll pay for two pizzas,” to which the counter boy says, “Then you’ll get four pizzas.” Conservative guy then says, “then I’ll pay for four pizzas,” to which counter boy says, “then you’ll get eight.” And so on.
Point being that paying for what you get (i.e., not stealing or freeloading) used to be a core tenet of conservative ideology. Not so much any more.
To be fair, taking care of average Americans used to be a core tenet of liberalism. It’s pretty clear that neither side has any driving morality other than “What’$ in it for me?”
Self-identified “conservatives” (frequently radical reactionaries in conservative drag) who afflict the working class and poor have their “Makers,” whom they uncritically promote.
Self-identified “liberals” (frequently neo-liberals in HR-style identity politics drag) who afflict the working class and poor have their high-status credentialed “Meritocrats” (aka the “Best and Brightest”) whom they uncritically promote.
The working class and poor continue to be afflicted by both.