First, lighten up on the drama. I know what it's like when someone attacks one's profession, but there's no need to have a persecution complex. Try being a CPA after the Enron problem.
Second, many here probably have more knowledge and perspective than you give them credit for. My wife, daughter and I each had 12 years of Catholic education, so don't have direct exposure to the public education system. However, I'm well aware of the benefits for teachers in that system (and usually financial is not one of them) vs the public system.
However, my father-in-law was a PhD in the College of Education at Illinois State University, and we spoke often about the state of public education. It is no secret that school age boys are more medicated than 2-4 decades ago, and it's no secret that it is a contentious and highly debated issue.
Third, I totally understand the idealism that shapes people to become teachers. It is an admirable and sometimes underpaid profession. However, your compatriots in the public sector teachers unions and the Department of Education have done you and idealistic teachers like you no favors in their adversarial and combative approach to the same taxpayers that fund their pay and benefits and facilities. So pardon some of us who bristle when we are told that we are monsters if we balk at finding some of the Taj Mahals of public schools. Us paper pushers that you unfairly offend are the ones who fund the public systems, and usually the private and parochial systems as well.
Lastly, you would have more credibility if you could at least acknowledged that indoctrination often takes place in the education system. While it can happen in the private or parochial schools, you have to admit that there can be systemic indoctrination in the public system, whether it is driven at the district level, state level, or national level. What do you think of Common Core?
