Dear Mr. Jobs:

I can’t tell you how much I respect you for what you have done for Apple (as well as your other endeavors). I’ve been an Apple fan since the first one rolled off the assembly line.

With that said, if the following quote is true:

“I believe that what is wrong with our schools in this nation is that they have become unionized in the worst possible way,” Jobs said. “This unionization and lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is off-the-charts crazy.”

I’m afraid you are grossly misinformed.

Every year newspapers and television news report international test scores so that Americans can compare American schools to their international brethren. Unfortunately, the media often fail to mention critical facts which would affect their readers' judgments. This is especially true for the TIMSS.   

For those who are not aware, the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) is an international test which provokes many people to get bent out of shape when they see the American results compared to other countries. Politicians and anti-public school groups, as well as sincere reformers, jump on these numbers as proof our schools continue to fail our children.