The AEA and public school teachers ........ withered and sere ........... they are bitter ........ clinging to their Party and their paper.

AEA, yes lets keep these students under the influence of these tenured "teachers" no matter how poor the quality of instruction they give. There needs to be a way to remove teacher from the system that fail in their mission to offer quality educations to Alabama students but as long as the AEA is the states strongest lobby we will alway languish at the bottom of education in the USA. Tenure is our greatest enemy.

An astute observation Steve. Well said.

Steve, you are such an idiot. What about removing those parents who do not do their part in their own child's education? Like, not practicing and helping their children memorize multiplication tables???????????

Why don't the Democrats, AEA, and the school system work on not having any failing schools and their will not be any moneys going to private schools because no one will quilify. Get to work !!!!!!!

Thanks guys you have fallen into my trap. You are giving my rich butt your tax dollars so my kids can still go to my home school. Soon there will be no public schools and many uneducated cheap labor stooges to do my bidding.

Otis you are still around, why? Oh I noticed you complained about sex and morality in schools, did you have a bad experience??

Bubba loves your tax money Oh, Bubba will start a new school in my barn next year

"The Alabama Education Association maintains the tax credits would hurt funding for public schools" . . . then don't waste thousands of your AEA dollars on court costs and lawyers fees suing the State. Donate it to the Education Trust Fund instead. Anything short of that negates any argument you may have about it hurting funding.

Simple solution, FIX the failing schools. Obviously they are filled with undisciplined children that either can't or don't want to learn because their parents don't give a damn to get involved in their lives to help them succeed. Anyone that expects the schools to do it all by themselves is just plain STUPID. If they are failing schools, run them like a military type school or require public schools pay tuition, $100 per child. Give the students some purpose, drive and the will and desire to learn and succeed. You have to get the parents to buy in and get involved. Bring back prayer, religion and the pledge, the basic principles this nation was founded on. I know a lot of great teachers that spend hundreds if not thousands of their own dollars to supply their classrooms each year with simple things they need to do the best job possible. We contribute hundreds of dollars each year to various school functions, programs and the PTA. And on the opposite side, I also know just as many teachers that aren't worth the paper their diploma is written own, and that are their just to draw a paycheck and State benefits. It takes cooperation and communication, not a teachers union, liberal lawyers or the State Legislature to fix the problem.

What is AEA so scared of?! Loosing their power! Typical union mentality and this is what is wrong with our state and country. And they want you to think it is all about the children. Right!

Let us try this . . . abolish the AEA and do away with "Tenure". We have tried everything else but that.

Why did the head of AEA send his children to PRIVATE school?

Who do you think is teaching the kids in the 87% of schools not failing?

Bubba asks what makes up a failing school

This day and age, most schools are dubbed "failing" because they don't meet the requirements of "No Child Left Behind". This failure of a plan that President W put in place requires teachers to bring ALL students (gifted AND learning disabled)to the same level or risk being dubbed a failure.

It's easy to blame teachers and parents for that matter, but the real culprit is a flawed assessment tool that made someone very wealthy and is causing our nation's education system to go to pot.

Easy, if the AEA is against it I'm for it. Let me ask again for D "Why did the head of AEA send his children to PRIVATE school? "

RONALD - Most people send their children to private school for religious reasons or segregation. Of course, they won't admit to it. It's some of the same reasons that many home school. Particularly in Alabama which requires NO particular education on the part of the homeschool "teacher".

Thank you, Pam.