A Helena school board trustee recently said at a school board meeting that " Those anti-public school people are starting to show up at education interim committees testifying against Common Core".REALLY? Is he sure that HE is for public schools but THOSE THAT DISAGREE WITH TOTAL ABANDONMENT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WORLD SOCIALIST GOALS are not? This fellow is a member and big champion of the Montana School Boards Association (MSBA). The MSBA feeds off of the public schools- they live on taxpayer money that is given to school boards to run our schools. That's right- our tax dollars are going to this lobbying organization in the form of dues from the school boards.
Is the MSBA in favor of public schools because they want the best education for our children, OR are they for our public schools because they want the money? What do you think? In thirty years of teaching I never saw an MSBA bureaucrat in my class or my school working with children. I have seen them at the legislature indefatigably arguing for whatever new program is being promoted by the Federal Government and the Office of Public Instruction.They do not research these programs and make independent decisions that they feel will be best for the CHILDREN- they defend the programs for the power cartel so that they will continue to get their PAYOLA. SO,WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS- THOSE WHO RECEIVE NO DOLLARS AT ALL, BUT IN FACT GET SCORNED AND DEMONIZED FOR GOING AGAINST THE POWER CARTEL- OR THOSE WHOSE VERY EXISTENCE DEPENDS ON THE MONEY THEY CAN GET FROM THE CARTEL? You be the judge.
One program you can ALWAYS count on the MSBA opposing is SCHOOL CHOICE. Whether it is vouchers or charter schools the MSBA wants no part of FREEDOM AND COMPETITION IN OUR SCHOOLS- THEY WANT NO PART OF POWER GOING TO THE PARENTS- THE VERY PEOPLE WHO LOVE AND CARE FOR THE CHILDREN THE MOST. Tell me, is this caring for public education? MSBA will tell you that vouchers and charter schools will take away MONEY(oh my) from the public schools.Maybe it will- but not from public EDUCATION. The MSBA can ALWAYS be counted on to support the teachers union. Let's see who is taking money from the public schools.
Remember, unions get a cut of EVERY school district salary. When I started teaching in 1975 our school district had three administrators (not including principals) and teachers were paid about $11,000.00 a year to start. When I left teaching in 2005 we had two buildings of administrators including data collectors and many other positions to manage all the Federal programs. Starting teacher salaries were around $30,000.00 and top salaries about $52,000.00. Today top teacher salaries are at about $75,000.00.The Helena school district spends 91% of its budget on salaries- leaving very little money for anything for children- in fact- students have to pay for activities. The schools have to have a foundation that shakes down every business in town to get money to buy the things the district should be buying out of its general fund. As mentioned on this blog before- our schools are in terrible shape- there isn't even money to maintain the buildings! Tell me, DO THE UNIONS AND THE MSBA FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN OR FOR THE MONEY THAT PAYS THEIR SALARIES?
Those valiant individuals that actually do the research and actually get NO MONEY but just WANT GOOD EDUCATION should not be labeled as against public schools, ACTUALLY- these are the people who want the programs that will bring real success to our schools. They want students in there seats learning instead of gardening, they want literature to be taught in English classes instead of gotten rid of as Common Core will do, they want real research - not wild and vague promises of "21st century college and career ready". They want competition that will allow the parents to choose the education that works best. They know, that as in the free market, the best product will get the buyers. Special Education students and behavior problems etc. can have their own vouchers and charter schools- so that's not an excuse not to offer CHOICE. Where there is a market there will be a product.THE REAL ADVOCATES FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT THOSE CARTEL MEMBERS BEGGING FOR MONEY, THEY ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN.
Another GRAND SLAM HOME RUN, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteI attended my first Montana School Board Association convention last year as a school board trustee and I was ASTONISHED. It was exactly as you say - every issue that was important to the quality of education was roundly rebuffed, and every liberal 'cause du jour' was regaled.
They even brought in a professional actor who presented a tear-jerking sob story (total fiction), complete with fake tears, and the entire group swallowed it whole. There was precious little logic and a lot of "feelings" expressed that weekend.
At the MSBA business meeting there were only two conservatives - myself and a trustee from some small Eastern Montana town - in a room with a couple thousand committed liberals (I base that on the voting results). I learned, to my shock and dismay, that the makeup of school boards in Montana is very predominantly liberal, and thus misguided and myopic.
You are exactly right, when we two lonesome conservatives stood in defense against their invective about school choice and home schooling, we were vigorously slapped down.
I continue to ask people every day (including elected officials) "do you know about Common Core?" It remains the best kept secret since the atomic bomb was built at Los Alamos. NOBODY IS GETTING ANY INFORMATION ABOUT COMMON CORE.
God bless ya, Barbara, keep at it. Get louder if you can! And hang on to your slingshot, you are David against Goliath in Montana.