State and
federal lawmakers and bureaucrats are holding our children hostage.
They are well-intentioned, no doubt, but the road to hell is paved with
their good intentions. And the travel is getting hotter every day.
Sacramento is broke, programs are being cut, legislators’ management
skills are questionable and California’s economic recovery is not
evident. Local educators are doing their best with constrained, delayed
school funding, making the tough decisions every other private sector
company is making to get by.
But complicating this mess further, Orange
County educators have zero flexibility on 73% of the public funding
they do get! They are dictated by Sacramento and, frankly, Washington
as well, on how to spend, when to spend, who to spend on, leaving no
flexibility to meet local community needs for our children in tough
times.
Educators want flexibility to move funding to where it’s needed
most: to district reform efforts, for career pathways programs for
students, for early childhood education, Latino student achievement
"gaps" and college readiness as well as consolidation of duplicative,
overlapping state and federal mandates such as in special education.
Our
local school leaders are skilled, educated adults–talented AND
accountable to the local community-more accountable than some nameless
Sacramento or Washington bureaucrat. Our parents want their children
skilled for a competitive 21st century economy. And despite this
state’s upside down priorities–$5 is spent per prisoner for every $1
spent per student–Orange County schools have the best "return on
investment" of any business. State and federal funding received is
almost dead last, but Orange County test scores are some of the best.
Despite
their lousy track record, state and federal governments insist on
micromanagement of the education of our children from thousands of
miles away. Enough! Every mandate, every inflexible rule is a costly
drag on efficient and effective education. Why do we need 6,000
regulations on education when 600 might do?
It’s
time. Return control of education to local boards of education and
superintendents who can and should determine what’s best for our
children. Call OC Superintendent of Schools, Bill Habermehl, 714
966-4001, and tell him you support the Orange County Superintendents’
plan.
Before the summer budget battles give us all heat stroke.