It was a clear blue sky last week when I saw the unusual sight flying over my home. One vessel carrying another that is being laid to rest somewhere for others to visit and admire in a museum, somewhere, though it doesn't work anymore, and will never take off again. For those of you that think I am talking about the space shuttle Discovery flying on a modified Boeing 737, you are wrong. I am describing the antiquated model of what once was referred to as the public school system that promised a quality education to every child based on a fiscal foundation that guaranteed solvency and support from the government.
All too often in many localities this time of year, complaints about taxes that are too high, the ineffective school system and the overpaid teachers are the culprits responsible for this mess. Or, you will see and hear the attacks on teachers and their unions, unable to understand how they can selfishly accept contractual increases while everyone else is suffering.
If you live in NYS, you would also be confronted by the "bully-in-chief" in the form of the Governor of the State, that has never attended a public school, and acts as if his goal is to eliminate funding in schools permanently from the NYS budget.
Despite the great recession of 2008, funding for schools has always been an issue in this country, and with the suggestions and mandates to reform funding by judicial departments, the matter is still bedraggled, and hesitantly attended to.
Maybe it is time to aggressively consider a new model for public funding of education. One that is attuned to the message received from Washington DC about more competition, and more student achievement. What that model would officially look like, no one can say. But, all we have to do is wait and look for antiquated models flying piggy-back on the public sentiment and governmental control to figure out, this current plan is not working any more.
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