Let Stossel Teach

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on Randi's Pavlovian response to John Stossel's "Stupid in America" segment on ABC's 20/20.

After ABC aired this controversial piece, Randi brought out the troops to bash Stossel and ABC. But remarkably, Stossel responded by going outdoors to face the angry mob. At the protest, he also accepted what was then a very loud invitation to teach for a week at a school of the UFT's choosing.

But, predictably...

"Like most of our dealings with the union, nothing was easy. It took weeks of phone calls to make any sort of progress. I suspect this will not surprise public-school parents.

...Then there were more meetings. Finally, four days before what was supposed to be my first day of class, they canceled. Officially, "they" were the public school administrators who said it might be "disruptive" and that it might "set a precedent" that would open their doors to other reporters.

Too bad. Letting cameras into schools would be a good thing.  Taxpayers might finally get to see how more than $200,000 per classroom of their money was being spent.

I wonder why the union even made the challenge. I suspect the UFT didn't expect me to say yes. When I turned out not to be easily intimidated, the teachers' union and the government school monopoly folded. Perhaps there's a lesson there."