Home of Today’s Common Sense

Published Brwonsville Herald 12/14/2004
When I checked my Web site in preparation for this column I noted, as you would expect, that taxes, education and taxes and education were the issues most read. Though not very surprising it is heartening to see that those issues are read and re-read more than twice as often as any other. Most folks are truly interested in seeing their children have more opportunities for education and the benefits that can result.
I submit that striving for better education is the one thing that we all can agree on; the problems begin however, with differing views in how the education is accomplished.
On one side, we are told that there is a crisis in education and only more tax money will solve it, on another we need alternatives to the present system so as to provide a choice and competition to the system to encourage accountability. Some blame the teachers for holding low expectations of certain groups of students, having a lack of ability to motivate students or worse; and others blame the parents for lack of interest and support in the educational process. I have often blamed the school administration for not adequately maintaining a good learning atmosphere. There may be some truth in all of these things but that is not the primary problem. Read the rest of this entry »