Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Dumbest Ed Policy Idea Ever?
Via Plattsburgh, N.Y., columnist Jerry McGovern (who runs the Press Republican's Newspapers in Education Program) comes up with one of the worst ideas The Chalkboard has heard in a long time.
Frustrated that so many legislators, union leaders, and state Ed Dept. honchos don't even send their own kids to the public school systems they represent, McGovern suggests that doing so should be mandatory. Writes McGovern:
If the people responsible for shaping the public-school system have their own children in them, we won't be surprised when the schools are more effective. In addition, we can expect the distance between the best and the worst to shrink when influential people must register their children in poor schools.
Horrible, horrible, idea. Cruel, even.
No one - no matter who they are - should ever be forced to send their kids into an educational environment that wastes a child's time, puts him or her in danger, or limits their ability to have a productive adult life in our democracy. Just because someone is an elected official doesn't mean they should send their kids to crappy schools.
It just would be nice if they thought of the rest the parental planet when they voted on education issues.
Frustrated that so many legislators, union leaders, and state Ed Dept. honchos don't even send their own kids to the public school systems they represent, McGovern suggests that doing so should be mandatory. Writes McGovern:
If the people responsible for shaping the public-school system have their own children in them, we won't be surprised when the schools are more effective. In addition, we can expect the distance between the best and the worst to shrink when influential people must register their children in poor schools.
Horrible, horrible, idea. Cruel, even.
No one - no matter who they are - should ever be forced to send their kids into an educational environment that wastes a child's time, puts him or her in danger, or limits their ability to have a productive adult life in our democracy. Just because someone is an elected official doesn't mean they should send their kids to crappy schools.
It just would be nice if they thought of the rest the parental planet when they voted on education issues.
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