We have a
ballot vote in November to authorize the Governor to take over “failing schools”. Opposition to this includes groups from all
sides of the political spectrum.
Conservative groups and Liberal groups oppose this takeover for
different reasons. The Conservative
groups do not like “unelected governance”, led the defeat of the T-SPLOST in
2012 and continue to lobby to repeal HB 277 and HB 1213 that created “Regional
Commissions”. Liberal groups are
defending the public school system as it currently exists.
Voters
are divided on this ballot issue. The
voters who are not concerned about “unelected governance” may think its ok for
the governor to take over failing schools.
Those voters who have developed a well-earned distrust of government
solutions may well vote No.
I prefer
the current system of county public schools, but I think they are too
expensive, dysfunctional and ineffective because of federal government
interference and enabling state laws. I
have no tolerance for propaganda and revisionist history required by federal
grants. It costs more to accept this $2 billion
a year in Federal “aid” than it “costs” to accept it. We should refuse to take printed, borrowed
federal money. Our federal spending is
unsustainable.
What
Students Need
Public
schools do well when their students work to take responsibility for their own
education. Students really are
responsible to attain the knowledge necessary to become self-supporting and
function as adults. Parents, teachers
and tutors are responsible for assisting students to become prepared and
discover their own motivated abilities.
Successful
adults love what they do and students need to choose the type of job they will
do well and enjoy doing. Students need
to begin working as soon as possible to discover their own talents and
interests.
Kids who
grew up on the family farm were required to do farm chores and encouraged to do
well in school. Some became engineers
because they were good at and enjoyed fixing farm equipment. City kids who got jobs in retail and food
service as early as age 14 learned what was required to work and earn their own
money. They matured fast, but those who
didn’t work, didn’t mature.
Kids who
are able to learn to play a musical instrument, play on a sports team and take
gymnastics are allowed to excel. These extra-curricular
activities are important. Kids who are
exposed to museums, concerts and reading become curious and motivated to learn
more.
The best
education is self-education. It’s
important to get kids to engage in self-education as soon as possible.
Students
who do not excel in school need to work until their curiosity catches up with
their chronological age. They will not
learn until they want to. They should
not be in the same classes with students who perform well.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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