He notes with frustration that the union was willing to go to the streets to fight changes to the district's costly health care package (would have required teachers to pay a co-pay and have a small deductible), but has done nothing to deal with real issues impacting teachers like safety on the job. (And on the health care issue, note that this story from the other day pretty much said the Milwaukee Public Schools are heading for bankruptcy, making the union's hard line appear to actually be anti-public education over the long haul.)

A deductible of several hundred dollars is worth marching in the streets for, but teachers getting punched in the face, riots at school sporting events and security guards being forced to sit on kids while waiting for police only amount to conversation and the formation of an alternative school or two?

Hello! Joe Factory Worker really doesn't feel sorry for you when you're complaining about a benefits package better than his, but he probably would feel a heck of a lot of sympathy for professionals demanding to not be physically abused on the job.

Conservative pundits can have a field day targeting a population with a 190-day work year, but I doubt it would be as easy for them to criticize us for wanting funds to ensure a secure work environment. Quite frankly, I imagine they would support it.

But what do I know? I'm just the young whippersnapper who knows nothing and, because I haven't bought into the historical train of thought, doesn't stand a chance of moving into union leadership. Which is a shame because without a change in the thought process, things will remain status quo.

Those of us who appreciate the crucial role that public education is supposed to play in giving every American a chance to prosper in our democratic society have to ask whether or not the system will be able to survive without a widespread "change in the thought process" by union leaders coast to coast.