Print edition: 
Imagine the National Football League in an alternate reality, one different from that presented by former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton in a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal.
Few, if any, players earn six-figure salaries. None has any control over the players surrounding him or on the equipment he receives, and players are given 45 minutes each contract week for collaboration in order to develop their own game plan.
If New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is injured and has to miss a game, he has to write detailed plans that would enable a stranger — who may or may not have quarterbacking, or any football, experience — to replace him for the day, with minimal disruption to team performance. In many "leagues," players have received no pay raise for several years, and some actually have had their salaries cut.
In this reality, players have to pay for their own offseason conditioning, have to see the trainers on their own time and at their own expense, and may have to provide (again, at their own expense) basic necessities (food, uniforms) for their teammates.
Finally, individuals with little-to-no knowledge of the game are allowed to establish the rules and change them at will. Tomorrow you might need 13 yards for a first down.
In comparing his NFL alternate reality to today's American public education system, Tarkenton asserted that tenure and teachers' unions are the root of all problems we face today. I wonder how much time he has spent in any public school, much less an inner-city, high-poverty school.
In the reality of public education, "tenured" teachers can be fired. Administrators need to do the jobs for which they were hired — identify deficiencies and help try to remedy them. It sounds a lot like coaching to me, and it is less expensive to retain employees than it is to recruit them.
Teachers who are not able to make requisite improvements can and should be dismissed.
In the reality of public education, "teams" (schools) don't get to choose their "players" (students). How successful would Brady be if his offensive linemen don't get to eat anything except what they get at practice — i.e., a school breakfast and lunch? What if they do not have access to medical care? It is exceedingly difficult to do your job if you are hungry or sick, but teachers have students in those conditions daily.
What if the receivers simply don't want to be there or the defensive players decide that video games are much more fun than studying the playbook? That is the reality of public education. Not every student is equally motivated, prepared or capable of performing at the same level of excellence at every task.
My union does much, much more than protect me. My union provides me with access to cutting-edge information about the art and the science of teaching. My union provides a forum to reach other professionals who have experienced some of the challenges I currently face. My union reminds me that our profession is important and that some people still recognize our contribution to society.
Are there problems with the American educational system? Obviously. Are there some teachers in the profession for the wrong reason? Absolutely. Is the threat of termination or the promise of more money going to make teachers suddenly care more and work harder? No.
Most of us already care more than we should and work as hard as we can, despite low salaries and a nearly total lack of respect by policymakers and those with access to the media.
