I have come to believe that excellance in teaching is directly related to
the ability to treat each student on an individual basis.  Change the rules,
change the methods, change the cirricula, do what works...

Meanwhile, the administration is working hard to make one set of rules that
they'll hold hard and fast too for everyone.  No weapons.  No corporal
punishment.  No punishment period.  No phonics.  Five absences and you flunk
for the year (serious accident and prior 98% grade average ignored.)  No
homework and you flunk.  No extra credit.  No partial credit.  No
complaining, no exceptions.

Get rid of the administrative "overhead" (I think this includes a large
part of the union), distribute the money to the teachers, and the good
ones will become great, and the bad ones will quit in shame or be fired.

I was lucky enough to go to school just as this overhead was building
up.  I had great teachers, I had great classes, I learned a lot.

I fear for my children :-(

BillW