February 22, 2007
THE LAST WAR IS AGAINST THE CIVIL SERVICE (via Randall Voth):
Jobs Bashes Teachers Unions: Apple CEO Steve Jobs said today that teachers unions are "what's wrong with our schools." (Gregg Keizer, 2/20/07, Computerworld)
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs laid into teachers unions Friday at a Texas education reform conference, an Austin, Texas, newspaper reported, saying they're "what's wrong with our schools."Teachers unions have traditionally represented one of Apple's most loyal group of customers and have largely stuck with the company since the days of the Apple IIe.
Unionization, said Jobs in reports filed by both the Associated Press and the Austin American-Statesman, was "off-the-charts crazy."
During a joint appearance with Michael Dell that was sponsored by the Texas Public Education Reform Foundation, Jobs took on the unions by first comparing schools to small businesses, and school principals to CEOs. He then asked rhetorically: "What kind of person could you get to run a small business if you told them that when they came in, they couldn't get rid of people that they thought weren't any good? Not really great ones, because if you're really smart, you go, 'I can't win.' "
He went on to say that "what is wrong with our schools in this nation is that they have become unionized in the worst possible way. This unionization and lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is off-the-charts crazy."
Make him Secretary of Education today. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 22, 2007 8:20 AM
If some here can get him to write me a $10,000,000 check (chump change), I'll turn Illinois Red on the backs of the Piggish Education Establishment.
Have 527 - will travel.
Posted by: Bruno at February 22, 2007 9:25 AMI teach but would never join a union.
It's hard enough to remove teachers (who shouldn't be teaching anymore) in a private school with "continuing contract status" than it should be too.
Posted by: Bartman at February 22, 2007 11:36 AMI think I'm in love!
Posted by: erp at February 22, 2007 1:58 PM