Monday, February 21, 2011

A Fair Question


A brave and selfless teacher from Wauwatosa speaks truth to power and ups the ante by bringing Scott Walker's kid into the, ahem, debate:

Michael Mulvey, a high school algebra teacher in Wauwatosa — the town Walker represented for a decade in the Legislature here — lapped the circular balcony over the main floor with a sign that read, “Scott, I taught your son algebra. My son just turned 5. Does he deserve a good education?”

I suppose that's a fair question. As a parent, Mulvey has every right to pursue a high quality education for his son. If Walker gets by with forcing teachers to help fund their own pensions, how will Mulvey ever afford the tuition at Pius XI High School?
Meanwhile, Ann Althouse reports that Madison schools will be closed for the 4th consecutive day. Remember, everyone, it's all about the children.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark,
please explain the reference to Pius XI HS. Is Mulvey's 5 year old going there? Honestly confused.

Rich

Mr. D said...

It was a joke, Rich. Apparently I didn't tell it well enough.

Unknown said...

Thank You for helping to bring the Lombardi back home where it belongs, but please stay out of something that you know very little about Mr. Woodson.

J. Peterson

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14718893/sports-unions-have-a-stake-in-wisconsin-labor-battle

Bike Bubba said...

Rich, the joke is that a large portion of public school teachers--I seem to remember a third or more--send their children to private schools.

In other words, those who ought to know best how awesome a government school education is are disproportionately likely to send their kids to private schools.

Make more sense now?

Mr. D said...

Yep, and Pius XI is the closest Catholic school to Wauwatosa, where Walker lives and where this teacher plies his trade.

Gino said...

its even just as telling that the downtrodden public school teachers can afford a private education that 90% of the public can not.

Anonymous said...

Mark,
if that is what you meant and that is what you believe, I guess you are entitled to your opinion. I can't see into peoples minds but I think most people who send their children to Catholic schools, teachers and non-teachers alike, would disagree with you. I would suggest that most of the people I know who send their children to Catholic schools do so out of a sense of familial tradition, and for the moral and cultural assimilation that they believe Catholic schools provide. And they do this at great personal sacrifice. In the suburbs of Chicago, in particular, the public schools are usually rated higher, academically, than the Catholic schools. But many people, myself included, send their children to the Catholic schools.

As I said, you are entitled to your opinion, but if you really believe folks are sending their children to Catholic schools solely for educational purposes, I think you are sorely mistaken. Honestly, I would think you would know this better than most folks.

Regards,
Rich

Mr. D said...

Rich, you are reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into my comment. I was taking a shot at the Wauwatosa school teacher, who deserved one for inserting Walker's kid into a debate.

For what it's worth, Pius XI is highly regarded. The Wauwatosa high schools aren't too bad, but they are no great shakes.

Anonymous said...

Mark,
I am still unclear on your point. This teacher doesn't send his kid to a Catholic, but he could and he might. And if he did...? What? He is a bad person? A hypocrite? You said the point of your 'joke' is that those who ought to know best how awesome a government school education is are disproportionately likely to send their kids to private schools. (I think that is what 'Yep' means). So you seem to be ascribing motive to another person's potential actions. So do you agree with my point that there are many reasons that someone who is Catholic would send their child to Catholic parochial schools? If yep, then please contextualize your 'joke' because I still don't get it.
Regards,
Rich

Mr. D said...

So do you agree with my point that there are many reasons that someone who is Catholic would send their child to Catholic parochial schools?

Of course. BTW, I don't even know if this dude is Catholic.

If yep, then please contextualize your 'joke' because I still don't get it.

Guys in the habit of saying "yep" aren't likely to "contextualize." ;)

Dude, it was a throwaway line that you are having a difficult time throwing away. You can think about it all you want, Rich, but I'm going to move on to other topics.

Anonymous said...

I would to if I were you;)

Rich

Bike Bubba said...

Yes, some of the suburban Chicago schools are decent....that said, not all of them, and there are a lot of academic reasons to go to Catholic schools, even in the burbs.

For example; amo, amas, amat....

Never mind, ahem, Chicago proper, where the average graduate (keep in mind 40% + do not graduate) reads at a sixth grade level.

....amamus, amatis, amant.