Fourth in a series
Re “Let Me Count the Reasons Prop. 13 Is Flawed, Says Goldberg”
[img]2839|right|Ms. Nancy Goldberg||no_popup[/img]The life of 36-year-old Prop. 13 – suddenly a hot political tater again – parallels the teaching career of School Board member Nancy Goldberg, who retired from the classroom just before running for office.
It rankles her because she believes the constrictions of Prop. 13 have damaged public education.
“I have lived with this my whole academic life,” she says, “and I have always felt we have cheated our students.
“According to the amount we spend per student compared to all other states, I am right. We cheat our students.”
This led Ms. Goldberg directly into a subject that riles her. “So much is being made of ridiculous claims against (bad) teachers,” she said. What Time magazine has done (with its cover story on the unsettled controversy over teacher tenure) is appalling.”
Just a Suggestion
Ms. Goldberg offered an unsolicited plan for the building that houses Time staffers. “They ought to burn it down,” she said. “Sorry. But this story on getting rid of rotten apples in teaching…
“To put that kind of story out there on teachers is wrong. It implies that there are so many people who feel this way.”
Ms. Goldberg was not finished.
“In all sincerity,” she said, “in the 41 years I have taught, and in my years on the School Board, I have met two what I would call bad teachers. One was redirected, and the other one has been chided enough so that by the time he retires, he won’t do any more harm.”
