Originally posted on 01/26/2014:

Well done, Drinker.

It’s not the pay we should be concerned about even though in America we pay our teachers like entry level employee's. It’s that the level of education of the Finnish teachers is much closer to Doctors than the average teacher in America. Something like only 10% of people who want to be Teachers get through. Hell, University of Hellsinki reports less than 7% of all those who applied to get education as a primary school teacher were even accepted. Contrast that with the roughly 10% from the same school for Doctors and Lawyers. You are required to get a masters. Maybe "pay" was not the correct wording, but rather prestige or respect of the profession.

As far as monetary concerns go - they also have co teaching much more often than you find here, which would make the lower income level reasonable. It’s also worth pointing out they also spend much less on their students per student. Yet they get better results. Maybe dollar signs are the wrong place to be looking.

The rest of the quote includes a direct shot at our mandatory testing system. The bane of education in America as we know it. Teaching outdated curriculum simply because "that's what is tested". This right here is the crux. They spend less per student, but achieve greater results simply by going away from evaluation-driven, centralized model that much of the Western world uses. But of course, we dwell on the inaccuracy of the point that doesn't even matter - typical 'Murica.

How many other countries have post-secondary education that requires you to take 2 years of fluff, before even starting to begin working on your skillset? Not many. Because it is fukking stupid. But that 2 years of bullshit costs money, which turns into more crippling debt, and a citizen stuck in the rat race working for to pay off the insane bill from Sallie Mae.

Enough with the excuses and justifications for why things are such shit in this country. Ship is sinking, and instead of plugging holes we are arguing about the shape of the hole.

But well done, you caught a politician being inaccurate in 1/3rd of the quote (pretty impressive considering shes a politician) yet condemn the entire quote/post. The phrase "throw the baby out with the bath water" seems to apply here.

Indeed, you busted this moron.