Second, there seems to be an irrational resentment of public school teachers in the USA. American teachers express much lower job satisfaction and much more pessimism than Canadian teachers.
Shouldn't teachers bear significant responsibility for the education of children? Why shouldn't they be resented if they aren't delivering on that bargain-- tenure, pensions, etc in return for a good education? When there is more per-pupil spending and worse outcomes, I think the quality of teaching must be related. Surely not the only factor, but an important one in my eyes. The truth is that much of the increased per-pupil spending doesn't make it to the classroom, not only because of administration costs, but also because of the high and growing costs of teachers' health and retirement plans, which is a bigger systemic issue in the USA generally.
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." -- Karl, as he stepped behind the computer to reboot it, during a FAT