Your Failed Media, Part 20,568

Has the Star-Ledger finally put blame where it belongs?

This feud has gotten silly. The governor can’t improve our schools by poking teachers in the eye. He needs their help. And if he would climb down from his pedestal, he might even learn something by listening to the people who work with our children every day.

The latest snub came Tuesday when Rochelle Hendricks, the acting commissioner of education, rejected an invitation to speak at the union convention in Atlantic City, where several thousand teachers are gathered.

What better opportunity to make the case for reform? The governor often claims that his beef is with the union leadership, not the teachers. So why turn down the single best opportunity to speak with the rank and file?

Maybe the governor is genuinely outraged that the union dares to defy him, and this was an emotional reaction. But it is more likely a calculated attempt to score political points.

Wow - a real change in tone?

As if:

Thank the overpaid union leadership for that. They refused to accept a one-year pay freeze when taxpayers needed help. And they have done all they can to protect incompetent teachers by opposing needed reforms. This gang of entitled misfits makes a perfect target for Christie.

Dear lord, that's stupid. First of all, plenty of districts took a freeze, Second, the average pay raise in new contracts is down to 1.6%. Third, you can't just open up contracts illegally. Fourth, why should teachers take a freeze when millionaires got a $600 million tax gift?

But, finally - sing it with me, won't you? - the pay freeze would have offset less than 1/4 of Christie's state aid cuts!

As to "opposing needed reforms": did or did not the NJEA strike a deal with Bret Schundler to make those reforms?

I guess they did, because THIS VERY SAME EDITORIAL continues:

Legislature the governor wants this conflict with the teachers union to continue for political reasons.

Recall that Schundler had hammered out an agreement with the teachers union before he was fired, and that the union made grudging concessions on merit pay and the use of test scores in teacher evaluations. But Christie rejected that deal and later fired Schundler. In his testimony, Schundler said the governor found it “intolerable” to be perceived as compromising with the union.

So, the NJEA made "concessions," but they "oppose needed reforms"?!?!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?!? CAN'T YOU EVEN READ WHAT YOU WROTE THREE BLOODY PARAGRAPHS AGO?!?!

I need a drink...