I’m pretty sure that every education blogger will take a whack at this article and lay out some of the issues with this article. I got to thinking, though, about longevity. Fifteen years into the charter school movement, is there any evidence that schools without unions are producing “veteran” teachers, i.e., those who have taught for many years?

Whatever one thinks of teacher unions, they make it possible for people to build long careers. And while longevity doesn’t necessarily create effectiveness, it does allow for a kind of institutional wisdom that is lost when teaching staffs turn over every three years.

Who would sign on to teach in an inner-city system knowing that even if you broke yourself for ten years you could still lose your job?