To the Editor:
What this country needs is a transformation of the K-12 public school system, because the current system is a disgrace.
Our public school systems have been taken over by politicians, policymakers, lawmakers, and the like. These people are not professional educators. In my opinion, a professional educator has a master’s degree in education and 25 years’ experience teaching in our public school system. Under this definition, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is not a professional educator, and I believe he should be replaced by someone who is.
Until we establish a union of professional educators charged with the development and maintenance of the K-12 curriculum, standards, and teacher evaluations, we will continue to be ranked as below average in the world by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development through its Program for International Student Assessment.
Charles McRae
Melbourne, Fla