Dear Editor, I read with interest Colleen Wilcox
’s guest column in the March 5 edition that placed all of
California’s public school problems squarely upon Gov.
Schwartzenegger’s desk. It was headed, “Promises, promises from the
Gov.”
Dear Editor,
I read with interest Colleen Wilcox’s guest column in the March 5 edition that placed all of California’s public school problems squarely upon Gov. Schwartzenegger’s desk. It was headed, “Promises, promises from the Gov.”
I suggest my response be labeled, “Promises, promises from our schools.” In the Opinion page article, the county school superintendent listed numerous statistics, “California ranks 50th in library books per student.” Another, “California ranks 50th in guidance counselors, librarians and computers per student.” Why did she not include statistics like where California ranks in quality of student?
I understand we are near the bottom of that statistic as well.
Regarding, “… library books per student.” How about counting the library books per student who is able to read them. Regarding, “… guidance counselors, librarians and computers per student.” How about counting the number of school staff and administrators per student?
She talks about “harmful budget cuts.” I am pleased that newspapers like this and the internet are serving as alternatives to liberal media and politicians who love to say that 120 percent rather than 130 percent of last years budget is a “slash” that is going to cause the sky to fall.
When underfunded private schools and home schoolers are running circles around our public school mediocraty levels, the argument that a solution rests in more funding falls upon deaf ears.
Indeed, the govenator’s education reform goes straight to the core of the problem with a rational solution.
For decades funding has not stopped our educrats from making our public school system into “social laboratories” using our kids as lab mice.
Personally, I believe our public school system will never be improved untilwe eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, the state Board of Education, the county and unified school districts and return to local elected school boards answerable only to the local voters.
Until then, I agree with Arnold’s simple logic of shoving the teachers unions aside and paying our good teachers more than we pay our lousy ones.
I’ve writen before, “Any school board candidate who is not home-schooling his own kids doesn’t understand the problem well enough to be qualified.”
Three cheers for Schwartzenegger. The first elected leader in decades with the guts to face down the teacher’s union. It is up to the public to stand with him, or continue sacrificing their children on the alter of mediocrity.
Ben Gilmore, Morgan Hill
