Senate candidate Smith criticizes teacher unions

[proud2BlibKansan]

Thanks to redistricting, this idiot won't be MY state senator if he wins his election. As a rep, he voted AGAINST school funding and allowed the KS governor (his buddy) to reduce state funding of education to 1992 levels.

How can a TEACHER be opposed to funding schools? How can funding in an outstanding school district be perceived as anything other than what's best for our kids?

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Speaking at a fundraiser that was sponsored by some big-name companies or their political action committees, Smith said the teacher unions, such as the NEA, are more interested in their membership than they are in students.

"Unions have one thing that they do that they do well, they look out for their members," Smith said. "What's best for teachers is not necessarily best for students or education as a whole."

Smith, of Overland Park, said the NEA's constant complaints about large class sizes are more about hiring teachers than they are about improving education.

"It has nothing to do about what's best for the kids, it has to do with what's best for the teachers. It's time to change (the school finance) formula so that its best for the kids and not for the employee."

Smith, a school teacher himself, said he was getting irritated that he's been labeled as as anti-schools and he "must hate kids." He noted that he spent six years earning a teaching degree while working as a police officer so he could teach in public schools.

Read more here: http://midwestdemocracy.com/articles/senate-candidate-smith-criticizes-teacher-unions/#storylink=cpy

[mbperrin]

1. 6 YEARS to get a teaching credential?

Good lord, here in Texas, they won't even count coursework 8 years old toward anything. Is this guy that close to the edge of moranism?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Oh he's way over the edge

He's a retired cop whose daughter was tragically murdered 5 years ago. He immediately went to Topeka and lobbied for a law requiring cell phone carriers to disclose phone records to police without a court order. He was upset because his daughter's cell company had waited for a court order to release her records. Turns out she was murdered almost immediately after she was abducted and it wouldn't have made any difference if the cell carrier had turned over her records as soon as they were asked.

Then he joined the local tea party and ran for office in 2010. And in both of the last two legislative sessions, he voted against school funding.

Now he's running for state senate.