Real Life Intrudes

Across the border from El Paso:

Elementary school teachers are the latest victims of an exploding extortion racket in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as criminal gangs threaten educators to either hand over their coming Christmas bonuses or see harm done to their families or students, teachers' groups say.

Will this be a new agenda item for the NEA in the US? Could this shift their focus from teacher pay to real reform? A real effort to help underachievers who often turn to crime? Since Barack's been elected it's OK to be nerdy now but that's not nearly enough. Bill Ayers swans around advocating turning schools into little hotbeds of radicalism. (Here we go in Chicago.)

Presumably Barack and Michelle won't send their daughters to DC public schools, as the Carters did Amy. The Obamas have the luxury of choice--many others don't. Real life is so intrusive.

--crossposted at Anatreptic