I agree that we defiantely have a need for stricter standards for our teachers. These standards should be applied when they are first getting the job and throughout their career. However we should do whatever we can to ensure that those quality teachers who meet and exceed the standards are comfortable in the fact that they won't lose their jobs as long as they continue to excel.

There are also other problem to address. While smaller class sizes are the optimal situation, in our growing society with budgetting that deosn't grow at the same rate, this may not be so simple. But we may be able to address the problem in different ways. In Japan for example, the numbers of students per teacher are conssistent with our own. However instead of teaching 6 classes per day, they teach approx. four on average and have a couple of hours a day to develop their curriculum, plan their classes, grade papers, all to ensure that educational process in the classroom runs more efficiently.

The problem must also be addressed of what the educational budget is spent on. Approx. half of what school boards and schools spend their budgets on are non-educational expenses. These are spent on things like buses, administration, security, team sports. I think a way needs to be found the make the priority in the budget the education of the students. So how do we make that happen?

-Demosthenes

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"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower