Teacher in Arizona--"I have alway voted Republican, but now i'm seeing firsthand what that gets us.

[kpete]

Teacher in Arizona—"I have alway voted Republican, but now i'm seeing firsthand what that gets us. Classrooms are falling apart. We have festering bathrooms. We have tattered textbooks."

"If you're a Republican politician, you better get behind education"

Link to tweet

[Ohiogal]

1. So why do you keep voting Republican?

Slow learner?

How long does it take to see that Republicans hate public education and take every opportunity they can get to strangle it to death?

[still_one]

26. It reminds me of the blue collar worker who was in a television ad supporting Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Within four years that person had lost his job, and was in a television ad for Walter Mondale in 1984

Just an observation that a lot of folks seem to lack critical thinking skills until they are directly affected

[maryellen99]

28. Let me guess..Abortion nt

[Initech]

35. Because their church and Fox News tell them how to think.

[Squinch]

2. NOW you're seeing it, buddy? You're too much of a dumbass to be a teacher.

[TheBlackAdder]

41. Students are expected to synthesize. This guy lacks critical analysis skills to effectively teach.

[Cha]

3. Ya think?

you're teachers.. you're suppose to be smarter than that.

[Chickensoup]

4. Do you believe me or your lying eyes.

I am so glad that slowly but surely
more and more Americans are seeing
through the lies of the Republican
party.

[mountain grammy]

5. Why would you vote republican?

Has he met Betsy?

[OrlandoDem1]

6. As a teacher myself, I'm embarrassed that it took you so long.

WTF is wrong with teachers who don’t vote their jobs? Start voting Dem in 2018!

[LuvLoogie]

32. They DID vote their jobs, and their taxes, AND...

trump promised to shit on the people they hate, or they didn't give a shit who he shit on as long as it wasn't them and they got a tax cut. They are the same people that say that Chicago Public School teachers don't deserve a 3% raise.

They will go right back to voting to screw minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ, and the poor. As soon as they get their school suplies.

[Girard442]

7. If only there was a party to vote for that supports things like education.

[grantcart]

9. or family farms or combating climate change or equal access and equal justice, universal health care

oh never mind I got another $ 19 in my pay stub this week, and I may get another $ 5 if I vote for them again.

[elocs]

8. I'm reading some pretty typical responses here from those on the Left

concerning those who have supported Republicans but now have seen the error of their ways:
being called "slow learner", "dumbass", being asked "what took you so long".

How about a simple "welcome here!"?

[Hortensis]

12. +100. "Welcome, and thank you" for fighting to

save education from what those hiding behind the Republican leadership intend.

Republicans in government have been voting well to the right of where their constituents poll for a long time now, over in extremist range to serve their big-money donors. Republican voters never wanted to destroy our educational system and didn't realize such a shocking thing was happening.

Nor, btw, did most of us realize just how extreme their goals were until very recently.

Thousands of marching Republican teachers, joining other teachers in common purpose, are a statement many times more powerful than anything we've managed on our own so far. Angry Republicans marching to stop their party leadership! Wow!

[SMC22307]

15. Exactly. Some are starting to see the error of their ways...

and "we" greet them with Trumpian name-calling and insults. It's disgusting. And a losing strategy.

[DavidDvorkin]

16. "See the error of their ways" means "Now it's my ox being gored"

Last edited Sat Apr 28, 2018, 12:16 PM - Edit history (2)

[elocs]

44. 16. "See the error of their ways" means "Now it's my ox being gored"

Thank god none of us ever started from that position. We were all wise from the get-go.

[DavidDvorkin]

47. I've changed my mind on things

I saw the light, but it wasn't because my ox was being gored. I realized that I had been wrong. In this particular story, the Republican voter was fine for years with other people being harmed by GOP policies.

[elocs]

48. Ultimately the important thing is that people see the light in the end.

It would be nice if it happened earlier and I think of life lessons I've eventually learned and wished I could have grasped them sooner without having to do it the hard way.

[treestar]

20. I agree though there is a point

where you think to yourself, "he hasn't been listening to the Republicans" because they have been putting down education and calling it "indoctrination" (because that is what they want to do) for a while now.

[tonedevil]

34. Maybe I'm missing something...

the teacher doesn't say he's going to vote for Democrats he is imploring Republicans to do the right thing. After a thousand brick walls have fallen on this guy he thinks he just forgot to ask Republican politicians to do something positive for education. It's going to take another thousand before he thinks maybe he shouldn't vote Republican.

[mercuryblues]

10. Democrats have been try to tell you that for decades

If I was a teacher and you were my student you would have been held back for failure to grasp the basic beliefs of the republican party. Just the idea of taking money from public schools and give it to charter schools should have shown you something. Anything?

How about the constant cuts? Dismal salaries and low or no raises for a decade? How about republicans saying teachers were union thugs? Or how teachers live the life of luxury? It should have been when they called teachers ignorant for wanting batter working conditions. The attempt to take away your tax break for the classroom supplies you bought out of pocket, didn't give you a clue? Maybe it was when teachers were blamed for kids suffering abuse because they were on strike fighting for better education? Was it when a presidential candidate said he would take away teacher's lounges because you don't deserve a place to sit for a few minutes?

You saw all that and more coming from your party of choice. You chose to ignore it because you had to get back at those libruls. Instead what you did was push Democrats to the right on education. So Hurray! You figured out it isn't working for you. I hope you have comfortable shoes and lots of sunscreen.

[Blue_true]

22. The comparison that republicans love to make.

Comparing public schools to private and charter schools to "show" why public schools are failing. It is all bunk.

First of all, public schools have to take in any child that show up at their doors, there is no selection process, no interviewing the parents to ensure that they are invested in the child's academic success. For public schools, all they are allowed to see is the child before them and they can't turn that child away.

The sheer numbers show why public schools are so important. Public schools educate something like 47 million of the estimated 51 million school kids in PreK thru 12. If republicans attempted to divert public money to put the 47 million in private or charter schools, the amount would quickly balloon to far, far more than is being spent on public schools. Private schools and charter schools have the luxury of being selective ONLY because public schools exist, if that dynamic change, my argument is that society and societal order will be the primary victims.

[DBoon]

33. Public schools are the dumping ground for students Charters won't accept

I went to Catholic Schools. It was common for the parents of particularly troublesome pupils to be told their child was no longer welcome, and would have to attend public schools. That's how they dealt with disciplinary problems - sending them to public schools.

[mercuryblues]

38. Charter schools are a farce

I call it Education brought to you by Wal-mart.

Some charter schools are not held to the same standards as public schools. Which gives the appearance of doing better. Yes, they are supposed to take all children that apply. Charters have developed a way around that. They create reasons to kick out or push the parent pull their kid out that they don't want. My local paper did a story a few years back about how kids suddenly developed behavioral problems in a CS vs how well they did in a PS. Of course it was disproportionately AfAm getting the boot.

[Takket]

11. "Get behind education"

Lol! Keep dreaming! Have people not figured out yet that destroying education is one of the central themes of the GOP? Why do you think they undermine public schools, make teachers out to be millionaires living high on the hog, and rail on college professors as liberal brainwashers?

Because an educated and informed public is a liberal public. No one with critical thinking skills and understanding of how the world works buys into trickle down economics or can be controlled through hate and fear of minorites.

Why the GOP attacks education summed up in one picture:

[gopiscrap]

13. fucking moron how did you ever get to be a teacher being so stupid

have you not watched the news or read a newspaper and gleaned from that the gops war on teachers. As soon as teachers as a group started getting strong and demanding better pay and respect, the right wing and the business community started getting on them. It started openly with god damn imbecile idiot Reagan and has just gotten worse as the years go along.

[smirkymonkey]

14. Duh!

[KG]

17. alway ?

[jes06c]

18. Republicans remind me of smokers

Most smokers I know are don't need to be lectured about the dangers of tobacco. They're aware that smoking causes cancer, but for some reason, they're convinced that THEY won't get cancer. They never can explain why, but they've managed to convince themselves that it will never happen to them.

Same thing with Republicans. Most of them know what they stand for, but just like smokers, they've managed to convince themselves that this will affect other people, not themselves.

[panader0]

19. I called a friend yesterday that lives in the Phoenix area.

He works at a high school there (not a teacher, but his wife is).
I called because he recently informed me that he has cancer, and I wanted to
know how his treatment was going.
He said he was tired, not from his treatment, but from marching all day.
I told him I was very proud of him. Thanks Rick.....

[Dreamer Tatum]

21. responses to this thread are why elections will remain close forever

One person dares admit they were wrong, and smug assholes flog them mercilessly. Welcome to 50.5-49.5 in perpetuity.

[OrlandoDem1]

39. I see your point, but good grief, the GOP have hated public education for decades.

They’ve blamed us for just about everything wrong in America. To know your colleagues still vote for them is frustrating. At least some may finally be learning. To them I extend an olive branch and warm welcome.

[GoCubsGo]

23. As someone who had her career ruined, and life turned to shit a decade ago by their voting habits,

all I can say is, "Whatever."

[ThoughtCriminal]

24. Working with teachers in AZ - I think I can explain

Most of the Republican teachers that I know in public education are hooked on fundamentalist "Christian*" religion and vote GOP on one issue - abortion.

They would prefer to work at a "Christian*" school, but almost all of them pay less and have terrible - if any - benefits.

[Orsino]

25. Teachers are a favorite whipping boy of the GOP.

How the fuck do you listen to your party's candidates and politicians for years, and not know that you, your students and your families are completely disdained? What agenda did you think you were supporting?

[tanyev]

27. I was really surprised to see a Trump loving Facebook friend in AZ post in support of the teachers.

Those posts were mixed in with plenty of other right wing garbage, though.

[Iggo]

29. Fuck you, Teach.

:middlefinger: :middlefinger:

[gratuitous]

30. Welcome to the party, pal

Talk to your fellow teachers and see if you can't enlighten them just a little quicker than it took for the scales to fall from your eyes. Our society works better when we're looking out for each other instead of grabbing everything we can for ourselves.

[Different Drummer]

31. Far too late to the party, but whatevs. n/t

[Initech]

36. Teachers voting republican is like a Patriots fan voting for Roger Goodell.

[lindysalsagal]

37. "Our party must stop its war on public education." Damn right.

It is a deliberate, systematic, ideologically driven attack on those who cannot afford private schooling. Finally everyone knows that's their agenda.

[struggle4progress]

42. Tichers! Hoo neads tichers? Noe boddie!

[asiliveandbreathe]

43. I have two teachers in the AZ school system - my son Ret. Navy Chief, suma grad ASU - and his wife

my dear daughter-in-law, a Filipina (been in US 4 years), masters in math, teaches at a charter school - (next session she will be teaching at a public school).. - both elementary teachers - they are all about the children -

My son showed me the principals plan for #RED4ED - information for parents regarding the safety of the children.. close the schools in the event there were not enough teachers ..he knows there are some parents who cannot just stay at home from work...and he knows just how hindered the students are without textbooks they both spend much more than $250 for school supplies..he has no college debt and in a better place than a lot of teachers who find themselves working two jobs ..

He did stay behind with 3 other teachers/for students who were on 1/2 days Thurs and Fri..11 and 10 students attended - he worked the full days..he doesn't know what will happen Monday..13 school days left - his beef is with the district, that has 4 Dr.s along with their top salaries - when they could hire more teachers if not so top heavy...and Ducey needs to be voted out...

His mantra, let those who voted these asses into office right their wrong...

[DFW]

45. I keep cutting off fingers, and yet my guitar playing doesn't improve.

Republicans and logic: and never the twain shall meet.

[Kirk Lover]

46. "Now you see the light, stand up for your right".