Those day are long gone.
Today's Union teachers are protected from dismissal for all sorts of reasons one being poor performance.
Teachers of old taught, today's teachers are activists, spreaders of propaganda and indoctrinate.
They no longer teach the basics because they don't have to. They are typical Union protected public employees.
They are more concerned with Political Correctness, Zero Tolerance and summers off then they are about actually educating.
They are one of the top three reasons why America's youth are drawn to Socialism and Communism.
Teachers teach what they are mandated to, and every damned year some [bleep] "up above" (Fed and state government) piles more crap on without ever removing any previously mandated crap, leaving basic education hanging by a thread or ignored due to time/money constraints. And this is money-concerned - every SD wants that state and federal money. Don't "teach" it, you don't get the money and oyther sanctions are applied.
Your next sentence is spot on, but these are mandated as "have to", not "more concerned" while basics take the hit - and it isn't really the teachers' chouce. The curriculum is is set by the school district and above.
