Children aren’t a blank slate when they get into school. Genetics, parenting, and culture all have an effect.

That said, the fact that teachers that make tenure basically can’t get fired for lack of performance is ridiculous. Imagine if you just had to be a good little coder for a few years, and after that as long as you put any amount of effort in at all you wouldn’t lose your job.

I certainly had teachers growing up that were terrible at their jobs. I also had some that were pretty good. Most were mediocre to the point where I don’t think they’d stay employed in a regular non-union type job. At the very least they wouldn’t be getting performance raises.

Had a friend who worked in one of the worst performing public schools in our city. According to him the main problem was that you simply couldn't keep good teachers no matter what you offered. Half the new teachers they hired didn't make it past the first year. Had they started firing teachers who underperformed on top of that they wouldn't have enough teachers left to keep the doors open.

edit: not disagreeing with the idea that tenure for teachers is a bad idea, just that I don't think that is the primary problem in these worst cases.

Everything that the government "helps" with becomes worse, more expensive, more corrupt, etc.

Limited small government with less taxes. Please and thank you.

But.

That doesn't negate my stance that everything they touch becomes worse, more expensive and we all suffer.

Healthcare? Some people are saved. Healthcare has never been more expensive and the unACA was passed on lie - like your plan, lie - keep your doctor, lie - save $2500/year, etc.

Childcare? They help a handful of people making it more expensive for everyone else.

Lockdowns? Mask mandates? The largest source of disinformation during the COVID "pandemic" was the US Government led by Fauci who has publicly admitted he made up statistics about stuff like "herd immunity" based on polling. Oh, big tech suppressed truth that went against narrative.

Pick any topic and you'll find that while yes, the government does help some people some times... on aggregate? the larger and more powerful and the more interference that comes from government the worse we are.

I'm a centrist and a realist. We won't exist without government. but only an idiot gives the government more power than ABSOLUTELY necessary and all you have to do is look around to see MOUNTAINS of evidence to that simple truth.

or, as you say, "a government is no more or less corrupt than the people they serve". Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. the people they server are corrupted by power... why would government be any different?

With governments, we can at least vote in different politicians.

The parents are the clients. Anyone with kids in one of these schools can tell you how the administration bends over backwards to please the parents.

Much better than “voting in different politicians.” Much MORE accountability

The core problem is poverty, not the school system.

If anything the CTU has been doing everything in their power to make sure the real problem, pensions, is never on the bargaining table. They are argument #1 against public employee unions if only because they are so obviously hosing their current members on behalf of their previous and soon to be previous members.

That said your broader point still stands, there is nothing strange about their compensation or outcomes when compared to peer organizations.