Usually bad ideas flow from academia into our K-12 system. (Think moral relativism, the decline of the core curriculum, dubious pedagogical approaches.) But now one of public education’s worst features–its hyper-unionized workforce–is finding its way into higher ed. At least that’s the intent of a bill introduced yesterday by Senator Edward Kennedy and Representative George Miller (respective chairmen of their chambers’ education committees) that would allow graduate students who serve as teaching or research assistants to bargain collectively. This is only likely to drive up tuition and drive down quality.

Colleges and universities: we feel your pain. But maybe this is some sort of Karmic payback for all the damage you’ve done to our elementary and secondary schools.

Update: The AFT says higher education is already hyper-unionized.

Related posts:

1. Finn on American education competitiveness
2. From the to-read pile
3. Competition in reverse