Field Guide to Anti-Teacher Trolls
The ongoing online debates about American public education have attracted all manner of commentator, from passionate defenders of traditional public education to dedicated reformsters. And, of course, teacher-bashing trolls.
Not that everyone who disagrees with teachers is some sort of troll. It's a big Internet, with plenty of room for many opinions. But from mainstreamish media like Slate, to the usual bloggy outposts, to The Huffington Post (motto "Providing the fertilizer from which a thousand trolls can grow"), teacher bashing trollery is in high gear.
There's a difference between debating and baiting. And taking a big trolly club to teachers seems to be particularly enticing. So as you stroll the education blogs, here's a field guide to the basic varieties of Internet teacher-haters you may encounter. (And remember -- don't feed them.)
Childless Troll
I don't have any kids, so why should I be paying any kinds of taxes to pay teachers' salaries? Cut their salary back to where I don't have to pay any taxes ever. Mind you, I still expect my doctor, neighbors, fellow voters, and every employed person I ever deal with to be an educated adult. I just don't want there to be any schools. I don't know how that's going to work. You're so smart, you figure it out.
Public Service Troll
People should work with children for free because it's such important work (also, musicians and artists should never want to be paid). When teachers complain about salary and benefits, it's unseemly. If they really cared about the children, teachers would happily live in a cardboard box just for the warm glow of satisfaction that comes from teaching. When teachers complain about no raise for eight years or trying to support their family, it just pisses me off -- don't they care about the children??
"Those Damn Unions" Troll
It's the damn teachers' union. Teachers all want to go sleep at their desks because the union will protect them. The union does nothing but protect bad teachers. In fact, the union actually goes out, recruits bad teachers, and then cleverly forces administrations to give these crappy teachers tenure. The union also elected Obama President, and they have the power to bend all elected officials to their will (except for Rand Paul). Union leaders have a giant pile of money that they like to swim in a la Scrooge McDuck; they use it to buy all the elections and all the power.
Teacher Hater Troll
Teachers are the single biggest obstacle to education today. They are only in it for the power and the glory. Well, no -- they also became teachers because they knew that would put them in the best position to interfere with the education of American Field Guide to Anti-Teacher Trolls | Peter Greene: